- A US FDA advisory panel voted unanimously that Emergent BioSolutions' ( NYSE: EBS ) opioid overdose reversal agent Narcan (naloxone) should be made available over the counter.
- The FDA is slated to make a final decision on the OTC status by March 29. If it gives the go-ahead, Emergent said it would make it available OTC by late summer, CNBC reported.
- Emergent ( EBS ) is up ~15% in after-hours trading.
- Every state has what is known as "standing orders" for naloxone, allowing pharmacists to prescribe Narcan without a prescription to anyone who meets certain criteria. However, with OTC status, Narcan would become much more widely available.
- Narcan has priority review status from the FDA for OTC use.
For further details see:
Emergent Biosolutions rises 15% after hours on FDA panel Narcan OTC vote