Severe frostbite can now be treated with Actelion Pharmaceutical’s Aurlumyn, an injectable medication that dilates blood vessels. The medication is the first to receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for treating the medical condition caused by exposure to extreme cold. The main ingredient in Aurlumyn is iloprost, which opens blood vessels and prevents blood from clotting, reducing the risk of finger or toe amputation.
The drug was initially approved in 2004 to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension.
