In light of the nationwide opioid epidemic that has led to a major rise in overdoses, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a competition to create a mobile naloxone app.
Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that has the power to save lives by reversing an overdose. Although access to the lifesaving drug varies by state, it is becoming more and more common among first responders and other professionals on the front lines of the opioid epidemic.
The FDA is encouraging computer programmers, public health advocates, clinical researchers, entrepreneurs and innovators from all disciplines to work on the problem of naloxone access.
With open registration for the public since Sept. 23, the FDA’s goal is to link those experiencing an overdose with people nearby that are carrying naloxone, through a mobile app.
“With a dramatic increase in the number of opioid overdose deaths in the U.S., there’s a vital need to harness the power of new technologies to quickly and effectively link individuals experiencing an overdose—or a bystander such as a friend or family member—with someone who carries and can administer the life-saving medication,” said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf in a statement.
[For more of this story, written by John Lavitt, go to https://www.thefix.com/fda-ann...bat-opioid-overdoses]
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