White House to Meet with Naloxone Makers About Increasing Access and Reducing Cost

The Biden administration plans to meet with makers of the opioid overdose antidote naloxone to discuss increasing access and reducing the cost of the treatment, Reuters reports.

Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director Dr. Rahul Gupta “plans to have conversations with manufacturers to share his key principle moving forward: the easier it is for people to access naloxone, the more lives we can save,” according to a spokesperson.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the first over-the-counter naloxone nasal spray, sold under the brand name Narcan, in March.

STAT reports that the cost of naloxone remains too high for many consumers and organizations. Emergent BioSolutions, which manufactures an over-the-counter version of Narcan, has said it plans to price a two-pack at under $50. Gupta told STAT the Biden administration will keep a close eye on retail prices for naloxone.