FDA approves nasal spray alternative to EpiPen

The Food and Drug Administration approved a new nasal spray that will be an alternative to EpiPen for people who have severe allergic reactions.

The medication is called Neffy, an epinephrine spray that can help stop the effects of a severe allergic reaction, called anaphylaxis, to food, medications and insect stings, The Washington Post reported.

It is done with a single spray in one nostril. The person does not have to be breathing to have the spray used. It is absorbed by the nasal mucosa, USA Today reported.

Traditionally an auto-injecting device like an EpiPen has been used to stop anaphylaxis, which some people may be hesitant to use because of a fear of needles. That fear can either delay or prevent treatment.

“People don’t want to inject themselves, so they wait and hesitate,” Richard Lowenthal, chief executive of ARS Pharmaceuticals, the company that developed Neffy, said according to the Post.

“The needle-free device removes the fear of needle-based injections and may be easier to use,” Kathy Przywara, community vice president of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation, said, according to USA Today. “This may increase confidence among people managing life-threatening allergies.”

Neffy will come in a two-pack of single-use devices. It will cost $25/copay for people with insurance and after coupons are added. It will be $199 if you pay in cash, The Washington Post reported.

The FDA had asked ARS for more studies on the medication last year. In the end, the approval came for use in adults and children who weigh at least 66 pounds.

The company conducted four studies looking at 175 healthy adults who don’t have anaphylaxis and found that Neffy left a similar amount of epinephrine in the system as injectable treatments.

Neffy should be available in the U.S. in about eight weeks.

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