For Immediate Release

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Media Contact: John Guilfoil (P.A.A.R.I.)
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative Teams with Adapt Pharma to Distribute Narcan to Police Partners

Grant to Provide 10,000 doses of NARCAN® Nasal Spray to Municipal Police and other P.A.A.R.I. Partners to Help Prevent Deaths Caused by the Nationwide Opioid Epidemic

NEWTON and DUBLIN, Ireland — Core to the mission of the organization, the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative seeks to empower law enforcement agencies around the nation by giving them the information, resources, and tools they need to battle addiction and save lives. Today, the P.A.A.R.I. board of directors is proud to announce that, in a partnership that showcases what can happen when different kinds of stakeholders come together to respond to a life-threatening issue, P.A.A.R.I. is teaming with Adapt Pharma to provide Narcan to the organization’s police partner agencies.

Through a grant, a donation of 5,000 boxes (10,000 doses) of NARCAN® (naloxone HCI) Nasal Spray will be distributed to P.A.A.R.I. partners, including municipal police, sheriffs, and other agencies that believe that opioid overdose reversals are a key component of addiction rehabilitation and de-stigmatization.

“Police officers are often the first on the scene in many opioid overdose situations, and they can be the difference between life and death if they have the proper tools to revive victims when seconds count,” said Leonard Campanello, Police Chief of Gloucester and Co-Founder of P.A.A.R.I. “Narcan is a vital tool that and will help officers nationwide prevent overdose and saves the lives of thousands of Americans. I am grateful to Adapt Pharma for stepping to the plate to offer 10,000 doses of Narcan Nasal Spray free of charge to our partner agencies.”

P.A.A.R.I. has provided a list of partner agencies in need of Narcan to Adapt Pharma, which will distribute units along with instructions and important documentation.

“This is a fantastic partnership that has the potential to save literally thousands of lives across the nation,” said John Rosenthal, Co-Founder and Chairman of P.A.A.R.I. “I am proud to stand with Adapt Pharma on the issue of overdose prevention.”

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, drug overdose deaths are now the leading cause of accidental death in the United States for people ages 25 to 64, exceeding even motor vehicle accidents. In fact, there are almost 29,000 deaths caused by drug overdose in the United States each year – a number that could be dramatically reduced by expanding naloxone use in communities and first responder groups, like law enforcement.

“We want to empower our police officers to help fight the battle that is going on across the country, and in our own backyards, by ensuring they have ready-to-use naloxone intended for community use,” said Mike Kelly, President U.S. Operations of Adapt Pharma. “Partnerships with great groups like P.A.A.R.I. are just the first step in this long-term war on opioid overdoses.”

In the case of an overdose, the Drug Policy Alliance has found the most common reason for inaction for not calling 9-1-1 is fear of police involvement – and potential prosecution around possession of illegal drugs.  This inaction can sometimes lead to loss of human life, especially when an overdose is caused by opioids.

Because Adapt’s NARCAN® (naloxone HCI) Nasal Spray comes in a 4mg dosage that is above the Office of Emergency Medical Services approved dosage for police, fire, and EMS, P.A.A.R.I. partners in Massachusetts will not be able to receive the donation unless OEMS changes its guidelines, in line with what is allowed in other states. P.A.A.R.I. partners in 22 other states will receive the donations over the next few weeks.

“Narcan Nasal Spray is Adapt Pharma’s only product on the market. The company does not, and has never, produced or marketed opioids,” Chief Campanello said. “It is refreshing to see a member of the pharmaceutical industry bring a brand new product to the market and immediately forgo some of its profits to ensure that the product ends up in the right hands, where it will undoubtedly be used to save the lives of people who would likely die of an overdose without it.”

About P.A.A.R.I.

P.A.A.R.I. was started to support local police departments as they work with opioid addicts. Rather than arrest our way out of the problem of drug addiction, P.A.A.R.I. committed police departments:

• Encourage opioid drug users to seek recovery
• Help distribute life saving opioid blocking drugs to prevent and treat overdoses
• Connect people suffering with opioid addiction with treatment programs and facilities
• Provide resources to other police departments and communities that want to do more to fight the opioid addiction epidemic

P.A.A.R.I. was created by Gloucester Police Chief Leonard Campanello and John Rosenthal to bridge the gap between the police department and opioid addicts seeking recovery. Since its founding, more than 130 police departments in 27 states have joined as partners with the initiative.

ABOUT NARCAN® (naloxone HCl) NASAL SPRAY
NARCAN® Nasal Spray is indicated for the emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose, as manifested by respiratory and/or central nervous system depression.

NARCAN® Nasal Spray is intended for immediate administration as emergency therapy in settings where opioids may be present.

NARCAN® Nasal Spray is not a substitute for emergency medical care. Always seek emergency medical assistance in the event of a suspected, potentially life-threatening opioid emergency after administration of the first dose of NARCAN® nasal spray.

If the desired response is not obtained after 2 or 3 minutes, administer an additional dose of NARCAN® Nasal Spray using a new NARCAN® Nasal Spray. If the patient responds to NARCAN® Nasal Spray and relapses back into respiratory depression before emergency assistance arrives, administer an additional dose and continue surveillance of the patient. If there is still no response and additional doses are available, administer additional doses of NARCAN® Nasal Spray every 2 to 3 minutes using a new NARCAN® Nasal Spray with each dose until emergency medical assistance arrives. Additional supportive and/or resuscitative measures may be helpful while awaiting emergency medical assistance.

Please see Indications and Important Safety Information below.

Please see full prescribing information for NARCAN® Nasal Spray, available at https://www.NARCANnasalspray.com/pdf/NARCAN-Prescribing-Information.pdf

AVAILABILITY OF NARCAN® NASAL SPRAY

NARCAN® Nasal Spray was made available in February of 2016.

Qualifying group purchasers may source NARCAN® Nasal Spray directly from wholesalers and distributors. To place a pre-order immediately or for assistance in sourcing NARCAN® Nasal Spray please contact Adapt Pharma’s dedicated Customer Service Team at 844-4-NARCAN® (844-462-7226) or email customerservice@adaptpharma.com.

NARCAN® NASAL SPRAY INDICATIONS AND IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Indications

NARCAN® (naloxone hydrochloride) Nasal Spray is an opioid antagonist indicated for the emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose, as manifested by respiratory and/or central nervous system depression. NARCAN® Nasal Spray is intended for immediate administration as emergency therapy in settings where opioids may be present.

NARCAN® Nasal Spray is not a substitute for emergency medical care.

Important Safety Information

NARCAN^® Nasal Spray is contraindicated in patients known to be hypersensitive to naloxone hydrochloride.

Seek emergency medical assistance immediately after initial use, keeping the patient under continued surveillance.

Risk of Recurrent Respiratory and CNS Depression: Due to the duration of action of naloxone relative to the opioid, keep the patient under continued surveillance and administer repeat doses of naloxone using a new nasal spray with each dose, as necessary, while awaiting emergency medical assistance.

Risk of Limited Efficacy with Partial Agonists or Mixed Agonists/Antagonists: Reversal of respiratory depression caused by partial agonists or mixed agonists/antagonists, such as buprenorphine and pentazocine, may be incomplete. Larger or repeat doses may be required.

Precipitation of Severe Opioid Withdrawal: Use in patients who are opioid dependent may precipitate opioid withdrawal characterized by body aches, diarrhea, increased heart rate (tachycardia), fever, runny nose, sneezing, goose bumps (piloerection), sweating, yawning, nausea or vomiting, nervousness, restlessness or irritability, shivering or trembling, abdominal cramps, weakness, and increased blood pressure. In neonates, opioid withdrawal may be life-threatening if not recognized and properly treated and may be characterized by convulsions, excessive crying, and hyperactive reflexes. Monitor for the development of opioid withdrawal.

Risk of Cardiovascular (CV) Effects: Abrupt postoperative reversal of opioid depression may result in adverse CV effects. These events have primarily occurred in patients who had pre-existing CV disorders or received other drugs that may have similar adverse CV effects. Monitor these patients closely in an appropriate healthcare setting after use of naloxone hydrochloride.

The following adverse reactions were observed in a NARCAN Nasal Spray clinical study: increased blood pressure, musculoskeletal pain, headache, nasal dryness, nasal edema, nasal congestion, and nasal inflammation.

See Instructions for Use and full prescribing information in the use of this product, available here: https://www.narcannasalspray.com/pdf/NARCAN-Prescribing-Information.pdf.

Additional information, including full prescribing information for NARCAN® Nasal Spray, and important safety information and instructions for use, is also available at www.NARCAN®NasalSpray.com.

To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Adapt Pharma, Inc. at 1-844-4NARCAN® (1-844-462-7226) or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.