- Professional Football Hall of Famer partners with Emergent to
raise awareness of the dangers of opioid use and the importance of
being prepared with NARCAN® Nasal Spray
- The life-saving medicine is available over the counter
nationwide, making it possible for anyone to save a life
GAITHERSBURG, Md., Oct. 16,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Emergent BioSolutions
Inc. (NYSE: EBS) announced it is teaming up with football
icon, Emmitt Smith, to break down the stigma around opioid use
and accidental overdose, which continues to fuel a national
epidemic impacting people from all walks of life.1
During his decorated 15-year professional career, Smith faced
multiple injuries and often chose to play through the pain, because
he knew the risks associated with opioids as he witnessed promising
athletes develop a dependency, lost teammates to accidental
overdose and watched loved ones struggle. Emergent, along with
Smith, are launching Ready to Rescue to create open dialogue
about opioid risks and educate the public on how to be prepared to
help save a life in an opioid overdose emergency.
Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/9136551-emergent-biosolutions-emmitt-smith-opioid-overdose-ready-to-rescue-initiative/
Opioid overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in
the United States,2
however many are not aware that opioid overdose deaths could
potentially be prevented with NARCAN® Nasal Spray and
emergency medical intervention. NARCAN® Nasal Spray can reverse the
effects of an opioid overdose in minutes. Research shows that 44
percent of opioid-related deaths in states evaluated had a
bystander present, but naloxone overdose reversal medications
were rarely administered.3 With NARCAN® Nasal
Spray available over the counter, more people have access to this
life-saving medicine and can quickly act in an opioid emergency
when every second counts. By carrying it on the go or keeping it in
a first aid kit, anyone can be the difference between life and
loss.
"Losing teammates to accidental overdose and watching family
members struggle with addiction has made me realize how serious the
opioid epidemic is," said Emmitt
Smith. "As a father of five, I make sure to talk to my kids
about the risks associated with opioids, and I want to use my voice
to help keep our loved ones and communities safe by urging everyone
to have NARCAN® Nasal Spray on hand just in case. It's
one step that can have a major impact and ultimately help save
lives, and this is why I'm so passionate about my partnership with
Emergent."
The reality is accidental overdoses can happen anywhere,
anytime, especially with the rise in synthetic opioids, such as
fentanyl. Student athletes and college campuses are particularly
vulnerable for several reasons, such as peer and performance
pressure, stress and curiosity. 4,5 In fact,
the rates of opioid misuse and dependency are highest among young
adults ages 18 to 25.6 That is why as part of the
Ready to Rescue campaign, Emergent, along with Smith,
will travel to college football tailgates across the country to
help raise awareness of the signs of an opioid overdose, offer
NARCAN® Nasal Spray demonstrations and distribute
Ready to Rescue kits to attendees. The campaign will
kick off at tailgate events across the country this month.
"Launching NARCAN® Nasal Spray over the counter was a
critical step in our long-standing commitment to reduce preventable
opioid overdose deaths, said Paul
Williams, senior vice president, products business. "With
this expanded access, we recognize there is also a need for
additional awareness and education to ensure more people are
equipped and empowered to act in an opioid overdose emergency.
Emergent is proud to be working with Emmitt
Smith to challenge misperceptions around opioid overdose and
demonstrate that we can play an important role in helping to change
the course of this widespread public health issue."
Consumers can find NARCAN® Nasal Spray online and in
retailers nationwide. Visit NARCAN.com to learn more and to
find a local retailer near you.
Emmitt Smith is a paid
spokesperson for Emergent.
About NARCAN® Nasal Spray
NARCAN® Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray 4 mg is the
first FDA-approved, over-the-counter (OTC) 4 mg naloxone product
for the emergency treatment of opioid overdose.
NARCAN® Nasal Spray is not a substitute for
emergency medical care. Repeat dosing may be necessary. Use as
directed.
About Emergent BioSolutions
At Emergent, our mission is to protect and enhance life. For 25
years, we've been at work defending people from things we hope will
never happen—so we are prepared just in case they ever do. We
provide solutions for complex and urgent public health threats
through a portfolio of vaccines and therapeutics that we develop
and manufacture for governments and consumers. We also offer a
range of integrated contract development and manufacturing services
for pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers. To learn more about
how we plan to protect or enhance 1 billion lives by 2030, visit
our website and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter,
and Instagram.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release includes forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are
forward-looking statements. We generally identify forward-looking
statements by using words like "anticipate," "believe," "continue,"
"could," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "future," "goal,"
"intend," "may," "plan," "position," "possible," "potential,"
"predict," "project," "should," "target," "will," "would," and
similar expressions or variations thereof, or the negative thereof,
but these terms are not the exclusive means of identifying such
statements. Forward-looking statements are based on our current
intentions, beliefs and expectations regarding future events based
on information that is currently available. We cannot
guarantee that any forward-looking statement will be accurate.
Readers should realize that if underlying assumptions prove
inaccurate or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual
results could differ materially from our expectations. Readers are,
therefore, cautioned not to place undue reliance on any
forward-looking statement. Any forward-looking statement speaks
only as of the date of this press release, and, except as required
by law, we do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement
to reflect new information, events or circumstances.
There are a number of important factors that could cause the
company's actual results to differ materially from those indicated
by any forward-looking statements. Readers should consider this
cautionary statement, as well as the risk factors identified in our
periodic reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission, when evaluating our forward-looking statements.
1 Tsai AC, Kiang MV, Barnett ML, Beletsky L, Keyes
KM, McGinty EE, et al. (2019) Stigma as a fundamental hindrance to
the United States opioid overdose
crisis response. PLoS Med 16(11): e1002969.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002969
2 National Safety Counsel Injury Facts. Drug
Overdoses. 2023. Available at:
https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/home-and-community/safety
topics/drugoverdoses/#:~:text=Many%20Americans%20are%20familiar%20with,and%20another%2018%25%20in%202021.
Accessed August 9, 2023.
3 Mattson CL, et al. Opportunities to Prevent
Overdose Deaths Involving Prescription and Illicit Opioids, 11
States, July 2016-June
2017. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep.
2018;67(34):945-951. Published 2018 Aug 31.
doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6734a2
4 Ekhtiari, S., Yusuf, I., AlMakadma, Y.,
MacDonald, A., Leroux, T., & Khan, M. (2020). Opioid Use in
Athletes: A Systematic Review. Sports health, 12(6), 534–539.
Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/1941738120933542.
Accessed August 9, 2023.
5 Addiction Center. College Drug Abuse. 2023. Available at:
https://www.addictioncenter.com/college/. Accessed September 11, 2023.
6 Rath JM, Perks SN, Vallone DM, Barton AA, Stephens
DK, Simard B, Hair EC. Educating Young Adults about Opioid Misuse:
Evidence from a Mass Media Intervention. Int J Environ Res Public
Health. 2021 Dec 21;19(1):22. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19010022.
PMID: 35010279; PMCID: PMC8750763.
NARCAN is a registered trademark of Emergent Operations
Ireland Limited.
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SOURCE Emergent BioSolutions