California will provide first responders, universities and other qualified organizations with a generic version of Narcan, the opioid overdose reversal drug, free of charge, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday.
CalRx’s Naloxone Access Initiative will purchase over-the-counter naloxone for $24 a package, about half the market price, from Amneal Pharmaceuticals, a New Jersey-based manufacturer, according to a news release from the office of Newsom.
The agreement allows the state to purchase 3.2 million double packets of the drug instead of the 2 million it purchased at the previous price.
“California is disrupting the pharmaceutical industry with CalRx – getting lifesaving medicines at lower, transparent prices,” Newsom said in a statement.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Narcan, the main version of naloxone, for sale without a prescription in March 2023. Last week, the FDA approved the generic version of Narcan spray made by Amneal Pharmaceuticals.
Announced in 2019, CalRX is the state’s effort to contract with generic and biosimilar drugmakers to offer cheaper versions of insulin and other medications. The goal is to reduce shortages and incentivize drugmakers to lower prices, saving the state and its residents.
Thousands of Californians die each year from overdoses or accidental ingestion of opioids. In response, state health officials have distributed millions of free naloxone kits.
California Daily Newspapers
