Blumenthal Urges Narcan Producer to Keep Over-the-Counter Prices Low

[HARTFORD, CT] –U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today sent a letter to Emergent BioSolutions, the company that produces Narcan, urging them to keep prices low to ensure that every American has access to the lifesaving opiate reversal drug. Last week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the overdose reversing drug for over-the-counter sales.

“Unaffordable medicine is inaccessible medicine, whether it’s offered by prescription or over-the-counter. As such, I urge Emergent BioSolutions to immediately reduce the list price of its OTC Narcan medication to a rate that makes it affordable for all individuals, particularly those who lack insurance coverage,” Blumenthal wrote to the President and Chief Executive Officer of Emergent BioSolutions.  

The current reported wholesale price for Narcan can cost as much as $120 for two doses, depending on insurance coverage and location. Uninsured individuals, who make up about one fifth of people with opioid use disorder, would struggle to afford Narcan at these high rates.

In the letter, Blumenthal urges Emergent BioSolutions to work with public health experts, addiction specialists, and community activists to keep prices affordable for those who need it most.

“With FDA approval of your company’s OTC Narcan medication, you and Emergent BioSolutions have the opportunity to save an untold number of lives. You have the ability to keep families whole, protect the public, and help put an end to the scourge of opioid addiction,” Blumenthal wrote.

A copy of the letter can be found here and video from a press conference announcement can be found here.

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