Nasal spray makes it easier to treat overdoses
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 7, 2014) — A new, lifesaving product aimed at reducing the death toll from heroin abuse — developed by a professor at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy — is in its final round of clinical trials and has received Fast Track designation by the Food and Drug Administration.
The product, a nasal spray application of the anti-opioid drug naloxone, was developed by Daniel Wermeling, UK professor of pharmacy practice and science, through his startup company AntiOp Inc.
Naloxone is the standard treatment for suspected opioid overdose, already in use by emergency rooms and emergency medical technicians across the country. Opioids are the class of pain-killing drugs that are related to morphine, including prescription drugs such as hydrocodone and oxycodone, as well as illegal drugs such as heroin.
Currently, naloxone is administered by injection. The nasal spray eliminates the need for needles, with a ready-to-use, single-use delivery device inserted into the nose of an overdose victim. The product delivers a consistent dose, absorbed across the nasal membranes even if the patient is not breathing.
“The goal is to make the medication available to patients at high risk of opioid overdose, and to caregivers, including family members, who may lack specialized medical training,” Wermeling said. “The treatment could be given in anticipation of EMS arrival, advancing the continuum of care and ultimately saving lives.”
Nationwide, deaths from opioid overdose are on the rise, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Kentucky, long troubled by widespread abuse of prescription opioids, has seen a dramatic rise in deaths from heroin overdose in recent years. In autopsies from 2013, the state medical examiner attributed 230 deaths to heroin overdose, an increase of more than 60 percent from the previous year.
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