Could Donations of a Nasal Spray Help Curb Opioid-Related Deaths?

Naloxone is indicated for counteracting an opioid overdose, and recent donations of a nasal spray form of the drug aim to expand its availability in schools and communities. This month, Adapt Pharma expanded its program offering free NARCAN (naloxone HCl) Nasal Spray to U.S. high schools and eligible colleges and universities. And in February, Adapt partnered with AptarGroup, codeveloper of the device used to deliver the nasal spray, to donate 4000 doses of NARCAN to Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner’s Opioid Overdose Prevention and Intervention Task Force as well as 1000 doses to the McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition. Adapt launched the device in April 2016, describing it as the first and only FDA-approved nasal form of naloxone. It reportedly can rapidly deliver a concentrated 4-mg dose of naloxone without any assembly or specialized medical training. Speaking about Adapt’s program for schools, Thomas Duddy, Adapt’s Executive Director – Communications, told MD+DI that the company’s “singular goal is to increase access to NARCAN Nasal Spray in communities so that everyone can save a life during an opioid overdose emergency. The NARCAN for Schools program demonstrates the important role academic institutions have in educating students about opioid abuse, the risk of opioid pain medications, and the importance of having naloxone wherever an opioid is present. This expansion reflects our unwavering commitment to combat this deadly epidemic on all fronts.” Whe...
Source: MDDI - Category: Medical Devices Authors: Tags: Business Source Type: news