The nasal spray will be available prescription-free by next year.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the opioid overdose reversal drug RiVive for over-the-counter sale, making the nasal spray the second overdose reversal drug approved for sale without a prescription. The manufacturer of RiVive, Harm Reduction Therapeutics, said that the drug will be in drug stores early next year, and promised to make at least 200,000 doses available for free to those who need it.
“We know naloxone is a powerful tool to help quickly reverse the effects of opioids during an overdose. Ensuring naloxone is widely available, especially as an approved OTC product, makes a critical tool available to help protect public health,” said FDA Commissioner Robert Califf.
RiVive is a nasal spray version of Naloxone, a morphine-like synthetic drug that quickly blocks opioid receptors in the human brain. Death due to opioids is caused by overexposure of these receptors to opioids, making the use of Naloxone an extremely effective treatment in the event of an overdose.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Commissioner Califf as he oversees the Food and Drug Administration.
- For Secretary Xavier Becerra to seek God’s guidance as he leads the Department of Health and Human Services.
- For Acting Director Lawrence Tabak as he heads the National Institutes of Health.
Sources: Reuters, National Institutes of Health, Food and Drug Administration
