US approves high-dose opioid reversal nasal spray from Hikma

U.S. regulators have approved the first high-dose nasal spray for reversing opioid overdoses

U.S. regulators on Friday approved the first high-dose nasal spray for reversing opioid overdoses. The Food and Drug Administration approved Hikma Pharmaceuticals’ Kloxxado, a spray containing 8 milligrams of naloxone — double the highest dose currently available. Experts and patient advocates say the more potent medicine is needed because low-dose naloxone sprays and injections sometimes must be given multiple times to keep someone alive until medical help arrives. That's especially true because fentanyl, a powerful painkiller, has become involved in many U.S. overdose deaths. Drug overdose deaths, meanwhile, have reached all-time highs.