Higher-dose naloxone spray didn't save more lives, researchers find
ABC News
A study finds that a new, higher-dose nasal spray for reversing opioid overdoses didn't save more lives than the standard dose
NEW YORK -- A new, higher-dose nasal spray for reversing opioid overdoses did not save more lives than the previous standard dose, but it did cause more vomiting and other side effects, researchers wrote in a study published Thursday.
The 8-milligram naloxone spray — twice as potent as the highest dose previously available — was approved two years ago after pressure from experts and patient advocates who noted lower-dose antidotes often were being given multiple times to people suffering overdoses.
The new study, which was limited to more rural parts of New York state, is being called the first to provide real-world data on the differences between the two sprays. The paper was published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but the federal health agency was not involved in the research.
The higher-dose “did not provide added benefit,” the authors wrote.
"What was really remarkable was the survival was the same, but the amount of withdrawal symptoms was significantly larger in the people that got the 8-milligram dose," said one of the authors, Dr. Michael Dailey of Albany Medical College.
