WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The use of prescription painkillers called opioids has dramatically increased over the years. According to the CDC, every day, 44 people in the U.S. die from overdose of prescription painkillers, and many more become addicted.
Naloxone, which has been used as the standard treatment for opioid overdose for almost 45 years, has been available only in injectable formulations all these years.
Now, a new easy-to-use formulation of Naloxone called Narcan Nasal Spray, developed by privately held Adapt Pharma Ltd, has been cleared for marketing in the U.S, thus becoming the first FDA-approved nasal spray version of Naloxone.
Narcan Nasal Spray is a ready-to-use, needle-free device, which delivers a 4 mg dose of naloxone in a single 0.1 ml nasal spray. It is expected to be commercially available in early 2016.
For group purchasers who order Narcan Nasal Spray directly from Adapt Pharma, it will be available at a discounted Public Interest Price of $37.50, according to the company.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX