FDA OKs 1st generic nasal spray of overdose reversal drug

U.S. regulators have approved the first generic nasal spray version of Narcan, a drug that reverses opioid overdoses.

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday OK’d naloxone spray from Israel’s Teva Pharmaceuticals.

Naloxone has been sold as a nasal spray in the U.S. since 2016 under the brand name Narcan. Pharmacists can dispense it without a prescription. It is also sold as a generic or brand-name drug in automatic injectors, prefilled syringes and vials.

A pack of two Narcan nasal sprays cost about $130 to $150 without insurance. Teva didn’t immediately provide the product’s price or when it will be available; its offices were closed Friday.

More than 47,600 Americans died of opioid overdoses in 2017, a toll that has been rising for two decades.