Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE: EBS) remains committed to
fighting the ongoing opioid crisis by broadening access to, and
awareness of, NARCAN® Nasal Spray to help save lives in opioid
overdose emergencies. In 2022, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) reported over 107,000 overdose deaths – a
number that has risen almost every year and which has continued to
break annual records.1 This includes a rise in synthetic opioid
overdoses mainly driven by fentanyl.1 There is an inherent
risk of potential overdose, wherever opioids are present, which has
tragically become the leading cause of accidental death in the
U.S.2 These statistics only further underscore the need for
multi-sectoral action to address and prevent opioid overdose
deaths.
One year after Emergent obtained the historic OTC U.S. FDA
approval in March 2023 and seven months since retail
launch in August 2023, the availability of NARCAN® Nasal Spray
in pharmacies, grocery stores and online retailers has helped more
people gain access to this life-saving product. Emergent and other
stakeholders in the fight must continue raising awareness about the
availability of products like NARCAN® Nasal Spray, reducing
stigma and further improving access for all Americans. Since the
OTC launch, NARCAN® Nasal Spray can be purchased at more
than 32,000 mass drug, grocery, online retailers and
e-commerce sites. Emergent is working with retail partners
to make it easy to find and access, however each retailer
ultimately determines in-store product placement.
In 2023, Emergent distributed approximately 22 million doses
(~11 million two-dose cartons) in the U.S. and Canada through
public interest organizations like state and harm reduction groups
and retail locations. Emergent also announced a shelf-life
extension from 36 to 48 months for NARCAN® Nasal Spray in the
U.S., further demonstrating its commitment to ensuring more
medicine is available for the public to access.
“We’re living in a time when one person dies approximately every
six minutes from an accidental opioid overdose – prevention and
response efforts require an all-hands on deck approach toward
lessening this devastating public health crisis,” said Joseph Papa,
president and CEO of Emergent. “In my first month leading Emergent,
and alongside our dedicated colleagues, we continue to advance our
mission to protect the public from threats such as the opioid
epidemic and am proud of our efforts to help save lives.”
Emergent is now engaging with partners who are aligned with its
mission to expand access, awareness and availability, such as the
National Safety Council (NSC*), working together to educate and
reach businesses and employers. Specifically, Emergent sees brick
and mortar stores, airlines, restaurants, hotels and
schools as critical locations where NARCAN® Nasal Spray should
be made available in case of an emergency, alongside AED kits.
“We know that NARCAN® Nasal Spray alone can’t solve the opioid
crisis – and that opioid overdose reversal medication can only be
useful if present and administered when a person is experiencing an
overdose. When bystanders are unable to provide life-saving
measures such as naloxone in nearly half of fatal overdoses, our
role to help expand the reach of this medication has never been
more important,” said Paul Williams, senior vice president,
products business, Emergent. “That’s why we remain committed to
increasing awareness of NARCAN® Nasal Spray availability. We also
applaud the Biden Administration for their recently announced plan
to address the opioid crisis, and Emergent remains prepared to
support efforts to our fullest capacity and help save more
lives.”
Emergent is also maintaining affordability of NARCAN® Nasal
Spray and is ready to meet public need as necessary and arm
individuals with an essential tool to combat against opioid
overdose. As announced at the OTC retail launch last year, the
Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of NARCAN® Nasal Spray
is $44.99 per two-dose carton, which is equivalent to
roughly $22.50 per dose. While Emergent works with
partners to help maintain access and affordability, the price of
the product is set by individual retailers. Emergent set the public
interest price at $41.00 per two-dose carton, building on its
long-standing engagement with public interest groups to ensure
naloxone is readily available to at-risk communities.
In addition, Emergent continues to prioritize efforts to reduce
the barriers to access, including addressing stigma, encouraging
businesses and school districts to carry naloxone, supporting
policy to ensure Health Spending Account (HSA) and Flexible Saving
Account (FSA) eligibility for naloxone and working with state
Medicaid agencies to provide coverage.
NARCAN® Nasal Spray is an appropriate choice for a known or
suspected opioid overdose as immediate administration, however it
is not a substitute for emergency assistance. To learn more about
this life-saving medicine and access resources, education and
advocacy tools, visit NARCAN.com.
*As a contracted commercial partner of Emergent, NSC will
receive a fee for service.
About
NARCAN® Nasal
Spray
NARCAN® Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray 4 mg is the first
FDA-approved, over-the-counter (OTC) 4 mg naloxone product for the
emergency treatment of opioid overdose. NARCAN® Nasal Spray is
not a substitute for emergency medical care. Repeat dosing may be
necessary. Use as directed.
About Emergent BioSolutions
At Emergent, our mission is to protect and enhance life. For 25
years, we’ve been at work defending people from things we hope will
never happen—so we are prepared just in case they ever do. We
provide solutions for complex and urgent public health threats
through a portfolio of vaccines and therapeutics that we develop
and manufacture for governments and consumers. We also offer a
range of integrated contract development and manufacturing services
for pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers. To learn more about
how we plan to protect or enhance 1 billion lives by 2030, visit
our website and follow us on LinkedIn, X,
Instagram, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release includes forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are
forward-looking statements. We generally identify forward-looking
statements by using words like “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,”
“could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “future,” “goal,”
“intend,” “may,” “plan,” “position,” “possible,” “potential,”
“predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” and
similar expressions or variations thereof, or the negative thereof,
but these terms are not the exclusive means of identifying such
statements. Forward-looking statements are based on our current
intentions, beliefs and expectations regarding future events based
on information that is currently available. We cannot
guarantee that any forward-looking statements will be accurate.
Readers should realize that if underlying assumptions prove
inaccurate or if known or unknown risks or uncertainties
materialize, actual results could differ materially from our
expectations. Readers are, therefore, cautioned not to place undue
reliance on any forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking
statement speaks only as of the date of this press release, and,
except as required by law, we do not undertake any obligation to
update any forward-looking statement to reflect new information,
events or circumstances.
There are a number of important factors that could cause the
company’s actual results to differ materially from those indicated
by any forward-looking statements. Readers should consider this
cautionary statement, as well as the risk factors and other
disclosures included in our periodic reports filed with
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, when evaluating
our forward-looking statements.
Investor Contact:Richard S. LindahlExecutive
Vice President, CFOlindahlr@ebsi.com
Media Contact:Assal HellmerVice President,
Communicationsmediarelations@ebsi.com
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (March 21, 2024).
Drug Overdose Deaths in the United States, 2002–2022.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db491.htm 2 Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention. (February 14, 2022).
Understanding Drug Overdoses and Deaths.
https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/epidemic/index.html
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