Washington: The US health regulator mentioned on Tuesday its advisory panel will meet on Feb. 15 to evaluate Emergent Biosolutions Inc’s over-the-counter (OTC) nasal spray to deal with suspected opioid overdoses.

Emergent is looking for the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA)approval for the prescription-free sale of Narcan, its nasal spray type of the drug naloxone. Narcan is already cleared for the remedy of opioid overdose within the nation.

Last month, the well being company accorded Narcan’s advertising utility a precedence evaluate standing and is about to make its determination by March 29. The panel will assess the adequacy of information that helps the nonprescription use of the drug.

The nation’s worsening opioid crisis has prompted the Biden administration to develop newer methods, together with using naloxone, a drugs that may reverse opioid overdoses.

Late final yr, the company had mentioned naloxone may be protected and efficient for over-the-counter use in some kinds, doubtlessly paving the way in which for its use federally and inspiring extra producers to hunt approval for prescription-free use.

Government estimates peg drug-related overdose deaths within the United States at greater than 100,000 throughout 2021, a close to 15 per cent improve from the yr earlier.