Emergent BioSolutions has pledged to donate 20,000 doses of Narcan nasal spray (naloxone) to communities affected by opioid overdoses.
Emergent said it is “working with businesses” to consider the availability of Narcan to sites including workplaces, facilities, and hospitality venues, amongst others, where accidental opioid emergencies could occur, as per an 8 October press release.
The drive comes alongside the White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose, a nationwide initiative introduced by the Biden-Harris administration to increase training and access to opioid overdose reversal medications like Narcan. Emergent joined the Challenge in March this year as one of the main manufacturers of medication that treats opioid overdoses.
An Emergent spokesperson confirmed to Pharmaceutical Technology that the donation is separate from the White House Challenge and builds upon the company’s existing donation programme.
Narcan’s accessibility significantly increased last year when the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the nasal spray for over-the-counter (OTC) use in March. At the time, it became the first opioid reversal medication available without the need for a prescription. Narcan generated $110m in revenue for Emergent in Q4 2023, up 22% from the year prior.
Narcan works as an opioid receptor antagonist – it binds to opioid receptors and blocks the effects of opiates. The medication is recommended for use immediately after a suspected or known overdose of an opioid has occurred.
Emergent has handed out more than 2,700 opioid emergency kits containing one carton of Narcan nasal spray and educational resources across several college campuses and public venues. As part of its inclusion in the White House’s Challenge, the biopharma has installed more than 40 opioid emergency wall units near first aid stations and automatic external defibrillators in its offices and facilities, along with providing 1,300 cartons of the medication to its employees this year.
There are more than 80,000 deaths in America related to opioid overdose each year. However, for the first time, data points to the first meaningful decline in opioid overdose deaths – putting a stop to a death rate that had increased by more than 250% from 1999 to 2019. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which reported the data, did not provide reasons for the downturn, but the decrease in deaths coincided with the availability of Narcan, along with other approved opioid overdose treatments.
Emergent’s CEO Joe Papa said: “It is promising to see the recent decline in opioid overdose deaths for the first time in years.”
Papa added the company remains “committed to playing [its] part in bringing down the number of opioid-related deaths by continuing to expand access efforts through the OTC availability of Narcan”.
The news comes at a time when many of the lawsuits against drug manufacturers of prescription opioids are being settled. These include companies and pharmacy chains that have been accused of deceptive marketing practices, downplaying addiction risks and oversupplying prescription drugs. One of the largest opioid settlements to date included Johnson & Johnson, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson – together agreeing to pay $26bn to seven states in 2021.
Pharmaceutical companies are also beginning to shift away from opioid-based pain medications, with several companies developing non-opioid candidates to manage pain including Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Lexicon Pharmaceuticals.
Emergent meanwhile has been helping fight a different public health concern in the infectious disease space. The company won FDA approval to use its smallpox vaccine for the prevention of mpox in August, making it one of only two vaccine manufacturers against the disease, alongside Bavarian Nordic.
