By Natalie Rahhal Deputy Health Editor For Dailymail.com
Published: 21:04 BST, 23 April 2019 | Updated: 21:04 BST, 23 April 2019
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The first generic version of the opioid overdose-reversing nasal spray, Narcan, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.
Approval for the naloxone spray was announced on Friday, and comes after a nationwide push to make the drug more accessible in order to help combat the tide of overdose deaths in the US opioid epidemic.
Narcan typically sells for $130 to $150 for a pack of two doses.
The generic version's manufacturer, Teva, has not yet released its price-point, but generics typically run 80 to 85 percent cheaper than name brand drugs.
The FDA approved the first generic version of Narcan, the opioid overdose reversal nasal spray on Friday in a step to make the life-saving drug more accessible (file)
In 2017, nearly 61,000 people died of opioid overdoses in the US.
But Narcan saved 27,000 lives in 2015, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The 'Lazarus drug' has been widely hailed as one of our best weapons in the fight against the opioid epidemic.
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