Historical overview of topical skin protectant development

✍ Scribed by James A Romano Jr; Margaret G Filbert

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 10 KB
• Volume: 19
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0260-437X
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-1263(199912)19:1+<s39::aid-jat613>3.0.co;2-v

✦ Synopsis

A requirement for a topical skin protectant (TSP) to protect skin from toxic chemical warfare (CW) agents was recognized immediately following the introduction of these agents in World War I. As early as the summer of 1917, research activities of the US Army were at work examining various soaps and ointments. Although several formulations were found to be effective in reducing 'skin redness' produced by agents such as hydrogen sulfide, no TSP was available before the end of the war.

Research in the area of protective ointments continued between the two World Wars. Just prior to and during World War II, a concentrated effort to develop ointments for protection against sulfur mustard (HD) took place at the Chemical Warfare Service in Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland. The program resulted in the development and fielding of a product for soldiers. The Army produced the M-5 protective ointment during World War II, which was manufactured in 1943 and 1944. The M-5 ointment, however, left room for improvement.

Following the end of World War II, a number of attempts were made to develop effective barriers or TSPs to various chemical warfare agents, including, for the first time, the lethal organophosphorus (OP) nerve agents. Although these efforts often did not result in protection against OP compounds, occasional studies showed reduction in penetration or toxicity of several CW agents. For example, polyethylene glycol (PEG)based formulations containing active ingredients capable of decomposing OP agents gave reasonable protection in vivo against several OPs.

For several years, research concentrated on introducing active ingredients into these PEG-based formulations. The types of active ingredients used in PEG-based formulations included alkaline substances