Purdue Pharma said the opioid overdose antidote, nalmefene hydrochloride injection, has a longer duration than naloxone, the drug currently used to reverse opioid overdoses.
The fast track designation will expedite development of the drug and its path to approval.
Purdue Pharma is currently embroiled in thousands of lawsuits alleging the company fueled the opioid crisis in the U.S. by aggressively pushing sales of OxyContin and withholding its dangers from physicians. Purdue Pharma denies the allegations.
Purdue Pharma told MarketWatch that it would not seek a profit from the new drug and that it is committed to advancing “meaningful solutions to address the opioid crisis.”
More articles on opioids:
Massachusetts hospitals embrace recovery coaches for overdose patients
CMS updates opioid mapping tool: 3 things to know
FDA mandates drugmaker research into opioids for chronic pain
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