A nasal spray version of naloxone (Rivive—Harm Reduction Therapeutics) is now on the FDA fast track for OTC clearance. According to the manufacturer, FDA is aiming for April 28, 2023, as an approval date after priority review. With cost and access in mind, Harm Reduction Therapeutics also noted that it would price the overdose antidote at about $18 per dose for sale to pharmacies, public-sector workers, and advocacy organizations. The nonprofit company will also donate one-tenth of its production, which is slated to reach 2 million doses annually.

A new CDC report found that monthly drug overdose deaths nearly tripled among adolescents age 10 to 19 years during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Deaths increased from 31 to 87 per month from July 2019 to May 2021 before declining to 51 per month in December 2021.

The efficacy of statins for prevention of ischemic stroke due to blood clot is well established, but a new study in Neurology appears to possibly settle the debate over whether the drugs lower the odds of a first stroke due to intracerebral hemorrhage.

A final guidance document from FDA details the agency’s efforts to prioritize enforcement and regulatory actions for homeopathic drug products marketed in the United States. There are currently no FDA-approved products labeled as homeopathic.

Researchers of a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine compared outcomes in pregnant patients with opioid use disorder based on whether they received opioid agonist therapy with buprenorphine as opposed to methadone.