Partnership to Save Lives: Harm Reduction Therapeutics to donate 200,000 RiVive™ naloxone doses to Remedy Alliance for free distribution
Largest Nonprofit Distributor of Naloxone Predicts RiVive™ to be “Game Changer” for Frontline Overdose Prevention
BERKELEY, CA – Remedy Alliance/For The People (RA/FTP), a nonprofit exempt wholesale distributor focused on saving lives from opioid overdose through the distribution of low-cost naloxone, announced today that Harm Reduction Therapeutics (HRT), a nonprofit pharmaceutical company, will be donating 200,000 doses (10% of HRT’s projected initial annual product production) of its newly-approved RiVive™ (naloxone HCl nasal spray 3 mg) to RA/FTP for free distribution nationwide. RA/FTP, which works with over 200 harm reduction programs in 44 states and D.C., will use its unparalleled reach to ensure RiVive reaches people who use drugs.
“The ability to now provide access to an affordable, over-the-counter (OTC) naloxone nasal spray in addition to generic injectable naloxone is a game changer for Remedy Alliance and the programs we work with,” said Eliza Wheeler, co-founder/director of Remedy Alliance/For the People. “Over 80% of the programs we currently serve are inadequately funded, not funded at all, or do not receive adequate volumes of naloxone for distribution from other sources. Harm reduction programs were the original innovators of community-based naloxone distribution 27 years ago, and yet still remain at the margins. We are hopeful that with the availability of RiVive, this will begin to change.”
Remedy Alliance/For The People is the country’s leading distributor of free or low-cost naloxone nationwide – ensuring both that harm reduction programs are sustainable and the communities they serve have equitable access to free or low-cost naloxone. In the past year, Remedy Alliance has provided over 1.5 million doses of generic injectable naloxone to harm reduction programs, supplying this life-saving treatment primarily to people who use drugs.
On July 28, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Harm Reduction Therapeutics' RiVive™ for the treatment of known of suspected opioid overdose. Available OTC, the newest nasal naloxone spray available for widespread use is a more affordable option for community use. Remedy Alliance has worked closely with HRT since the pharmaceutical nonprofit organization first began development of RiVive.
“We founded Harm Reduction Therapeutics with the singular mission to prevent opioid overdose deaths, and we’re dedicated to making free or low-cost over-the-counter naloxone nasal spray available to the communities who need it most,” said Michael Hufford, PhD, co-founder and chief executive officer of Harm Reduction Therapeutics, Inc. “Remedy Alliance/For The People has spent more than a decade building trust and establishing connections with harm reduction groups. We’re confident that with their leadership, easy-to-use RiVive can reach people who use drugs. With the help of additional funding partners, we hope to decrease the price of RiVive and increase the amount of RiVive available for free across the U.S. so more lives that would otherwise have been lost to overdose can be saved.”
HRT started manufacturing RiVive before approval to minimize the typical lag between FDA approval and launch of a new product. As a result, HRT anticipates availability of its OTC nasal naloxone product starting in early 2024 at or below cost, making its price lower than other opioid antagonist nasal sprays. It will be exclusively available in twin packs containing two single dose devices.
About Remedy Alliance/For The People
Remedy Alliance/For The People is a nonprofit organization focused on distributing low-cost naloxone to harm reduction programs dedicated to helping people who use drugs. Formerly known as the all-volunteer OSNN Buyers Club established in 2012, Remedy Alliance/For The People incorporated in 2021 in order to create a sustainable and equitable infrastructure to secure naloxone for harm reduction programs to distribute to prevent overdoses and save lives. Remedy Alliance/For the People works with over 200 affiliated programs who distribute generic injectable naloxone directly to people who use drugs in 44 states and the District of Columbia. For more information, please visit: https://remedyallianceftp.org/
About RiVive™
RiVive™ (naloxone HCl nasal spray 3 mg) is a novel over-the-counter intranasal formulation of naloxone (3.0 mg) delivered as an atomized spray (0.1 ml) that can save lives. It uses an easy-to-use standard unit dose system for single administration for the emergency treatment of opioid overdose without a prescription. RiVive produces a 3-fold higher systemic exposure with comparable early absorption to the reference naloxone product (0.4 mg delivered via intramuscular injection). Human factors validation work demonstrated that laypeople were able to administer RiVive in a simulated emergency overdose situation. . It is safe to keep administering RiVive every two to three minutes until the person wakes up. Warning: when using this product, some people may experience symptoms when they wake up such as shaking, sweating, nausea or feeling angry. For more information on Drug Facts, call toll free 1-888-412-7454 or visit: https://rivive.com/