The International Cyanide Management Institute (ICMI) is pleased to announce it will host a webinar on the ongoing development of cobinamide as a cyanide antidote on September 25, 2024.
Availability of effective cyanide antidotes suitable for field administration has been of growing concern to the mining industry. Antidotes currently in use require intravenous injection by trained responders, making their use problematic in remote areas and during cyanide transportation. Jurisdictional restrictions on availability and use of amyl nitrite as a treatment for cyanide exposure have also diminished cyanide response capabilities at many mining operations.
Considerable research on the development of new cyanide antidotes has been conducted in the past 15 years. This research has included evaluation of the effectiveness of potential new antidotes, and evaluation of their characteristics such as solubility and storage.
One promising antidote, cobinamide, has been shown in testing to be 5 to 8 times more effective than other antidotes currently used. Recently developed formulations of cobinamide appear to be safe, making it potentially suitable for administration in cases where cyanide exposure is suspected but not certain.
Of particular note, research has indicated that cobinamide is suitable for injection directly into muscle tissue, rather than intravenous injection, making self-application possible, and use more practical in situations where trained medical personnel may not be readily available, such as at mining operations in remote areas and during cyanide transportation.
Cobinamide was developed as an antidote by Gerry Boss, M.D., a medical researcher at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), in the United States, where he led a program for development of new cyanide antidotes. To accelerate the regulatory approvals necessary for commercialization, UCSD and Mesa Science Associates are in the final stages of negotiating a licensing agreement for commercializing the antidote.
If you would like to learn more about this prospective cyanide antidote, please join us for a webinar on September 25, that will be moderated by ICMI Senior Vice President, Dr. Eric Schwamberger, that will feature Dr. Boss, Michael Mesa, President of Mesa Science Associates and his colleague, Dr. Kenneth Dretchen, Vice-President and Chief Science Officer for Mesa Science Associates. Mr. Mesa is a highly a highly experienced product development executive and an expert in the injectable drug delivery arena, holding 20 plus patents involving drug delivery systems. Dr. Dretchen is Professor Emeritus and was the former Chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology at Georgetown University Medical Center where he teaches pharmacology and physiology to medical students and residents in the Departments of Psychiatry and Anesthesiology.
The presentation is open to all stakeholders with an interest in cyanide antidotes. The webinar will be held in two sessions to accommodate attendees across the various time zones. The first session will be held on September 25 at 10:00 AM Eastern US (UTC 14:00), which will be at 07:00 in Vancouver, 08:00 in Denver, 09:00 in Lima, and 16:00 in Frankfurt and Johannesburg, and the second session the same day at 8:00 PM Eastern US (September 26 UTC 00:00), which will be at 07:00 in Jakarta, 08:00 in Perth, 09:00 in Seoul, and 10:00 in Melbourne. To sign up for the 1st session please click here. To sign up for the 2nd session please click here.
About the International Cyanide Management Institute
ICMI is the administrator of the Cyanide Code, which is amongst the most established certification programs in the mining sector. This voluntary industry program is focused on the safe management of cyanide by companies producing gold and/or silver and by companies producing and transporting cyanide. It was developed under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme by a multi-stakeholder Steering Committee. The Cyanide Code is intended to promote and help ensure the safe and environmentally responsible management of cyanide used within the gold and silver mining industries. Operations are assessed for compliance triennially by qualified, independent auditors.
Date:
Tuesday, September 17, 2024