FDA Approves Another Nasal Spray To Reverse Overdoses
Opvee is similar to naloxone, a drug that has been used for decades to quickly counter overdoses of heroin, fentanyl, and prescription painkillers. In other news, President Joe Biden asks Congress to pass a bill to reduce fentanyl trafficking.
AP:
New Nasal Spray To Reverse Fentanyl And Other Opioid Overdoses Gets FDA Approval
The Food and Drug Administration endorsed Opvee, a nasal spray update of the drug nalmefene, which was first approved as an injection in the mid-1990s but later removed from the market due to low sales. Naloxone comes as both a nasal spray and injection. It’s not immediately clear how the new drug will be used differently compared to naloxone, and some experts see potential downsides to its longer-acting effect. (Perrone, 5/22)
In other news on the opioid crisis —
Axios:
Biden: Congress Must Pass GOP-Led Fentanyl Bill
The Biden administration called on Congress Monday to pass a bill aimed at tackling fentanyl trafficking in the U.S., which would see the synthetic opioid raised to the highest classification of illegal drugs. The administration's public support for the Republican-led Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act comes amid a growing synthetic opioid crisis in the U.S. (Habeshian, 5/23)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Mayor London Breed To Answer Questions About Drug Crisis At Hot Spot
The political tussle over how to handle San Francisco’s drug crisis will get perhaps its most public airing in memory Tuesday when the Board of Supervisors holds a question-and-answer forum on the topic in UN Plaza with Mayor London Breed. The plaza has been one of the worst hotspots for open-air drug dealing and using for decades, and Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin said that made it the best spot for the board’s monthly Q&A session with the mayor. (Fagan, 5/22)
KFF Health News:
California’s Fentanyl Problem Is Getting Worse
California has allocated more than $1 billion in recent years to combat its opioid crisis. Much of the money has been used to distribute fentanyl test strips and the overdose reversal drug naloxone, as well as deliver medical care to people who are homeless. The state has an opioid awareness campaign tailored to youths and recently called on the National Guard to help detect drug traffickers. Yet the problem keeps getting worse. (Thompson, 5/23)
