Companies present 5,000 doses to Illinois Governor’s Task Force and
McHenry County Coalition to combat epidemic
CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 8, 2018--
AptarGroup, a leading global provider of innovative drug delivery
devices and consumer dispensing systems, and Adapt Pharma, a
pharmaceutical company solely focused on expanding affordable access to
NARCAN® (naloxone) Nasal Spray, today announced a joint
donation of 4,000 doses of NARCAN® to Illinois Governor Bruce
Rauner’s Opioid Overdose Prevention and Intervention Task Force, with
another 1,000 doses scheduled to go to the McHenry County Substance
Abuse Coalition Friday.
Recognizing an unmet need in the treatment landscape, Aptar and Adapt
collaborated on the development of a nasal spray system for NARCAN®
that delivers a concentrated 4 mg dose of naloxone without any required
assembly or specialized medical training.
“We are proud of our innovative drug delivery and dispensing solutions
that improve the lives of millions of people around the world daily.
It’s especially meaningful when we are able to contribute to saving
lives. We are pleased to partner with Adapt Pharma, Governor Rauner’s
Task Force and the McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition to help
address the opioid epidemic in our own backyard,” said Stephan Tanda,
CEO of Aptar. “Raising awareness of the crisis and making these
potentially life-saving doses more accessible to those who most need it
will have a lasting impact on our community.”
Nearly 1,950 people died of opioid overdoses in Illinois in 2016, an 82
percent increase in just three years. Synthetic opioids, such as
fentanyl and its analogues, are disproportionately contributing to the
rise in both fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the state, with a tenfold
increase from 2013 to 2016.
With headquarters in Crystal Lake, Ill., Aptar recognized the need in
Illinois – and its home county of McHenry – for increased access to
NARCAN®. Today’s donation of 4,000 doses was received by the
Illinois Department of Public Health on behalf of the Illinois
Department of Corrections and Illinois State Police, as well as by
Chicago Recovery Alliance. The McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition
will accept the donation of 1,000 doses on Friday.
“This product is a life-saver,” Governor Rauner said as the presentation
was made at Chicago Recovery Alliance’s Taylor Street offices in
Garfield Park this afternoon. “We will continue to fight the root causes
of this epidemic, but meanwhile, this generous donation is most welcome
and appreciated.”
“Every day, hundreds of lives are forever changed by the opioid
epidemic. NARCAN® Nasal Spray is an effective emergency treatment that
can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose when an adequate dose is
administered in time,” said Seamus Mulligan, chairman and CEO at Adapt
Pharma. “We are proud to work with Aptar and the State of Illinois to
ensure this critical intervention tool is more readily available and in
the hands of those most likely to witness an overdose.”
The NARCAN® Nasal Spray donation will largely impact the Illinois State
Police in the line of action and benefit the Illinois criminal justice
system, giving parole agents a tool to help save lives in the field.
Additional doses will support Chicago Recovery Alliance’s mission of
harm reduction, as well as education and distribution programs in
McHenry County.
"Lives in our community are impacted on a daily basis, and we are
excited that Aptar recognizes the epidemic in their home community,"
said Jason Sterwerf, chairman of the McHenry County Substance Abuse
Coalition. “The McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition is honored that
Aptar is making a commitment to continue to make this intervention tool
available for our community partners who confront this epidemic every
day.”
The need for expanded awareness, education and access to naloxone is
more apparent than ever. NARCAN® Nasal Spray is not a
substitute for emergency medical care, and repeat applications may be
necessary. Seek emergency medical assistance immediately after initial
use, keeping the patient under continued surveillance.
About AptarGroup
AptarGroup, Inc. (NYSE: ATR) is a leading global supplier of a broad
range of innovative drug delivery devices and dispensing and sealing
solutions for the pharmaceutical, beauty, personal care, home care, food
and beverage markets. Aptar is headquartered in Crystal Lake, Illinois,
with manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe, Asia and South
America. For more information, visit www.aptar.com.
About Adapt Pharma
Adapt Pharma is a privately-held pharmaceutical company solely focused
on expanding access to NARCAN Nasal Spray. Adapt Pharma’s company
headquarters is in Dublin, Ireland and its U.S. headquarters are in
Radnor, Pennsylvania. For more information, please visit www.adaptpharma.com.
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 in an alternate nostril 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 in
alternate nostrils with each dose until emergency medical assistance
arrives. Additional supportive and/or resuscitative measures may be
helpful while awaiting emergency medical assistance.
See full Prescribing Information, Patient Information, and Instructions
for Use of this product, available here: http://www.narcan.com/pdf/NARCAN-Prescribing-Information.pdf.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180208006205/en/
Source: AptarGroup, Inc.
Matthew DellaMaria
Senior Vice President, Investor Relations and
Communications
AptarGroup
matt.dellamaria@aptar.com
815-479-5530
or
Thom
Duddy
Executive Director, Communications
Adapt Pharma
thomas.duddy@adaptpharma.com
484-431-8223