FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 1, 2024 (Charleston, WV) — The Drug Intervention Institute (DII) has announced that it will partner with nonprofit Harm Reduction Therapeutics (HRT), Inc. 501(c)(3), for distribution of opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone inside of ONEbox™. Units of ONEbox™ previously shipped without naloxone, but this partnership will provide two doses of over-the-counter (OTC) RiVive™ (naloxone HCl nasal spray 3 mg) for the emergency treatment of opioid overdose in a new bundled package. This new ONEbox™ bundle is now available for purchase.
Nasal spray naloxone is an opioid reversal medication that can save a life during an opioid overdose and is easy to use. ONEbox™ (Opioid Naloxone Emergency Box) is a self-contained, video-enabled opioid overdose rescue response kit which now contains two doses of intranasal naloxone along with personal protective equipment and bilingual video instructions that are activated when ONEbox™ is opened. ONEbox™ was invented by West Virginia native and entrepreneur, Joe Murphy who created the box after seeing the devastation the opioid crisis caused in his hometown community. Designed to put naloxone in proximity of where overdoses might occur, the ONEbox™ is distributed nationwide by the Drug Intervention Institute. The mission of the Institute is to prevent overdose death through education, outreach, and prevention.
Frustrated by the severe pricing and barriers limiting the ability of at-risk communities to access naloxone, and eager to answer the calls of harm reduction organizations and government regulatory bodies for over-the-counter options, HRT was founded as a nonprofit in 2017.
“This partnership will provide access to naloxone to coalitions, schools, and others throughout the United States including the most at-risk communities,” said Dr. Susan Bissett, President of the Drug Intervention Institute, and Distributor of ONEbox™. “The ONEbox does not ship with naloxone and in the past purchasers had to supply their own. So, this partnership provides those wanting to deploy the ONEbox™ in their communities with access to naloxone that they may not have previously had.”
The new naloxone ONEbox™ bundle is available for purchase for a combined price of $5,200 for 24 ONEbox™ Units and 24 doses of RiVive™. The price reflects the inclusion of the two-doses of RiVive™, purchased at cost, a price lower than other OTC intranasal naloxone products on the US market. In addition, the 24-box price reflects a 10% discount on the sales price of the ONEbox™.
“We are grateful that our work to develop and achieve FDA approval of a new formulation of naloxone nasal spray that saves lives while minimizing unintended consequences like full-blown withdrawl is now coming to life through partnerships for broader access like the ONEbox™ initiative by the Drug Intervention Institute,” said Michael Hufford, PhD, co-founder and chief executive officer Harm Reduction Therapeutics, Inc. 501(c)(3). “We believe our nonprofit model is the right approach to supporting harm reduction organizations and governments as they work to save lives in communities most affected by the opioid crisis.”
This partnership comes at a time where lethal overdoses from opioids and fentanyl are on the rise globally and have reached an all-time high in the US (CDC, Drug Overdose Deaths in the U.S. Top 100,000 annually). Awareness and action have never been more critical. Opioid overdose deaths are preventable through the timely administration of naloxone.
RiVive™, which can save lives, is used to “revive” someone during an emergency situation to reverse the life-threatening effects of known or suspected overdose from many prescription pain medications or street drugs. Each RiVive™ nasal spray device found in ONEbox™ contains one dose of naloxone. If the person does not respond after 2-3 minutes, additional doses of RiVive™ may be given until the person wakes up.
To date, the Institute has deployed over 10,000 ONEbox™ units across 50 states with over 200 confirmed lives saved. The partnership with HRT will enable easier access to naloxone as a companion to ONEbox™ and support the DII’s mission of helping those affected by the opioid crisis and saving lives that would otherwise be lost due to opioid overdose.
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ONEBoxTM and Drug Intervention Institute Contact:
Dr. Susan Bissett at 304-941-4182 or email susan@wvdii.org
Purchase inquiries:
Drug Intervention Institute at 681-205-2287 or email onebox@wvdii.org
HRT Contact Media inquiries:
Dr. Michael Hufford media@iriscomms.ca
About the Drug Intervention Institute
Located in Charleston, WV, the mission of the Drug Intervention Institute is to reduce opioid and drug-related deaths in Appalachia and the nation by (a) preventing substance use through education (b) reducing overdose through training and distribution related to naloxone and other opioid reversal agents, and (c) supporting harm reduction and other drug-response efforts.
About ONEbox™:
The ONEbox™ is an innovative and compact emergency response kit designed to address overdose situations promptly and effectively. The box is intended to hold two boxes of intranasal naloxone used to reverse overdose. However, using the medication is only the first step of many in responding to an overdose. The ONEbox™ provides on-demand video instructions that guide responders and laypersons through bystander intervention for naloxone administration and overdose response. For more information or to purchase, visit: https://www.wvdii.org/onebox.
About Harm Reduction Therapeutics, Inc. Harm Reduction Therapeutics (HRT), Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit pharmaceutical company whose single mission is to prevent opioid overdose deaths by making free of charge or low-cost over-the-counter naloxone available to everyone. It is the first nonprofit company to achieve FDA approval of a naloxone nasal spray. Founded in 2017 in response to the severe price and access limits to existing naloxone products, HRT brings together experts in drug development, harm reduction, substance dependence, public health policy, and over-the-counter switches of prescription pharmaceuticals. For more information, please visit www.harmreductiontherapeutics.org or call 1-888-412-7454.
About RiVive™RiVive™ (naloxone HCl nasal spray 3 mg) is a novel over-the-counter intranasal formulation of naloxone (3.0 mg) delivered as an atomized spray (0.1 ml) that can save lives. It uses an easy-to-use standard unit dose system for single administration for the emergency treatment of opioid overdose without a prescription. RiVive™ produces a 3-fold higher systemic exposure with comparable early absorption to the reference naloxone product (0.4 mg delivered via intramuscular injection). Human factors validation work demonstrated that laypeople were able to administer RiVive™ in a simulated emergency overdose situation. Warning: when using this product, some people may experience symptoms when they wake up such as shaking, sweating, nausea, or feeling angry. For more information on Drug Facts call toll free (888) 412.7454 or go to: RiVive.com