SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California will soon begin selling its own generic version of Narcan — the drug that can save someone's life during an opioid overdose — under a deal announced Monday by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom as part of his effort to offer less expensive, state-branded options of medication.
“Anywhere that has a first aid kit, we hope that this product will be available as part of that,” said Elizabeth Landsberg, director of the California Department of Healthcare Access and Information, which is overseeing the program.The naloxone nasal spray will be the first drug to carry the CalRx label, Newsom's effort to force drug companies to lower their prices byThis isn't the first time California will have made its own medication.
“We’ve enabled through CalRx the manufacturing of a low-cost Naloxone option that without us may not have come to market this quickly or at this volume,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency. California began giving away naloxone kits for free in 2018. State officials say the Naloxone Distribution Project has given out 4.1 million kits, which have reversed a reported 260,000 opioid overdoses. The money has come from taxpayers and portions of a nationwide settlement agreement with some other pharmaceutical companies.