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NARCAN (naloxone hydrochloride) Nasal Spray is a pre-filled, single dose intranasal spray. Chemically, naloxone hydrochloride is the hydrochloride salt of 17-Allyl-4,5α-epoxy-3,14- dihydroxymorphinan-6-one hydrochloride with the following structure:
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Naloxone hydrochloride, an opioid antagonist, occurs as a white to slightly off-white powder, and is soluble in water, in dilute acids, and in strong alkali; slightly soluble in alcohol; practically insoluble in ether and in chloroform.
Each NARCAN Nasal Spray contains a single 4 mg dose of naloxone hydrochloride in a 0.1 Ml intranasal spray.
Inactive ingredients include benzalkonium chloride (preservative), disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (stabilizer), sodium chloride, hydrochloric acid to adjust pH, and purified water. The pH range is 3.5 to 5.5.
NARCAN Nasal Spray is indicated for the emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose, as manifested by respiratory and/or central nervous system depression.
NARCAN Nasal Spray is intended for immediate administration as emergency therapy in settings where opioids may be present.
NARCAN Nasal Spray is not a substitute for emergency medical care.
NARCAN Nasal Spray is for intranasal use only.
No additional device assembly is required.
Because treatment of suspected opioid overdose must be performed by someone other than the patient, instruct the prescription recipient to inform those around them about the presence of NARCAN Nasal Spray and the Instructions for Use.
Instruct the patient or caregiver to read the Instructions for Use at the time they receive a prescription for NARCAN Nasal Spray. Emphasize the following instructions to the patient or caregiver:
The recommended initial dose of NARCAN Nasal Spray in adults and pediatric patients is one spray delivered by intranasal administration into one nostril.
Seek emergency medical assistance as soon as possible after administering the first dose of NARCAN Nasal Spray.
The requirement for repeat doses of NARCAN Nasal Spray depends upon the amount, type, and route of administration of the opioid being antagonized.
Administer NARCAN Nasal Spray in alternate nostrils with each dose.
If the patient responds to NARCAN Nasal Spray and relapses back into respiratory depression before emergency assistance arrives, administer an additional dose of NARCAN Nasal Spray using a new NARCAN Nasal Spray and continue surveillance of the patient.
If the desired response is not obtained after 2 or 3 minutes, administer an additional dose of NARCAN Nasal Spray using a new NARCAN Nasal Spray. If there is still no response and additional doses are available, administer additional doses of NARCAN Nasal Spray every 2 to minutes using a new NARCAN Nasal Spray with each dose until emergency medical assistance arrives.
Additional supportive and/or resuscitative measures may be helpful while awaiting emergency medical assistance.
Reversal of respiratory depression by partial agonists or mixed agonist/antagonists, such as buprenorphine and pentazocine, may be incomplete and require higher doses of naloxone hydrochloride or repeated administration of NARCAN Nasal Spray using a new nasal spray [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
NARCAN Nasal Spray is supplied as a single-dose intranasal spray containing 4 mg of naloxone hydrochloride in 0.1 mL.
NARCAN Nasal Spray 4 mg is supplied as Carton containing two (2) blister packages (NDC 69547- 353-02) each with a single spray device.
NARCAN HCl Nasal Spray is not made with natural rubber latex.
Store NARCAN Nasal Spray in the blister and cartons provided.
Store below 77°F (25°C). Excursions permitted up to 104°F (40°C). Do not freeze or expose to excessive heat above 104°F (40°C). Protect from light.
NARCAN Nasal Spray freezes at temperatures below 5°F (-15°C). If this happens, the device will not spray. If NARCAN Nasal Spray is frozen and is needed in an emergency, do NOT wait for NARCAN Nasal Spray to thaw.
Get emergency medical help right away. However, NARCAN Nasal Spray may be thawed by allowing it to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, and it may still be used if it has been thawed after being previously frozen.
Distributed by Emergent Devices Inc. Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462 USA. Revised: Mar 2023.
The following serious adverse reactions are discussed elsewhere in the labeling:
Because clinical studies are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical studies of a drug cannot be directly compared to the rates in the clinical studies of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.
The following adverse reactions were observed in a NARCAN Nasal Spray clinical study.
In a pharmacokinetic study of 30 healthy adult volunteers exposed to one spray of NARCAN Nasal Spray in one nostril or two sprays of NARCAN Nasal Spray, one in each nostril, the most common adverse reactions were: increased blood pressure, constipation, toothache, muscle spasms, musculoskeletal pain, headache, nasal dryness, nasal edema, nasal congestion, nasal inflammation, rhinalgia, and xeroderma.
The following adverse reactions have been identified primarily during post-approval use of naloxone hydrochloride in the post-operative setting. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure: Hypotension, hypertension, ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation, dyspnea, pulmonary edema, and cardiac arrest. Death, coma, and encephalopathy have been reported as sequelae of these events. Excessive doses of naloxone hydrochloride in post-operative patients have resulted in significant reversal of analgesia, and have caused agitation.
Abrupt reversal of opioid effects in persons who were physically dependent on opioids has precipitated an acute withdrawal syndrome. Signs and symptoms have included: body aches, fever, sweating, runny nose, sneezing, piloerection, yawning, weakness, shivering or trembling, nervousness, restlessness or irritability, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, abdominal cramps, increased blood pressure, tachycardia. In some patients, there may be aggressive behavior upon abrupt reversal of an opioid overdose. In the neonate, opioid withdrawal signs and symptoms also included convulsions, excessive crying, and hyperactive reflexes.
No Information Provided
Included as part of the "PRECAUTIONS" Section
The duration of action of most opioids may exceed that of NARCAN Nasal Spray resulting in a return of respiratory and/or central nervous system depression after an initial improvement in symptoms. Therefore, it is necessary to seek emergency medical assistance immediately after administration of the first dose of NARCAN Nasal Spray and to keep the patient under continued surveillance. Administer additional doses of NARCAN Nasal Spray if the patient is not adequately responding or responds and then relapses back into respiratory depression, as necessary [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION]. Additional supportive and/or resuscitative measures may be helpful while awaiting emergency medical assistance.
Reversal of respiratory depression by partial agonists or mixed agonist/antagonists such as buprenorphine and pentazocine, may be incomplete. Larger or repeat doses of naloxone hydrochloride may be required to antagonize buprenorphine because the latter has a long duration of action due to its slow rate of binding and subsequent slow dissociation from the opioid receptor [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION]. Buprenorphine antagonism is characterized by a gradual onset of the reversal effects and a decreased duration of action of the normally prolonged respiratory depression.
The use of NARCAN Nasal Spray in patients who are opioid-dependent may precipitate opioid withdrawal characterized by the following signs and symptoms: body aches, diarrhea, tachycardia, fever, runny nose, sneezing, piloerection, sweating, yawning, nausea or vomiting, nervousness, restlessness or irritability, shivering or trembling, abdominal cramps, weakness, and increased blood pressure. In neonates, opioid withdrawal may be life-threatening if not recognized and properly treated and may include the following signs and symptoms: convulsions, excessive crying, and hyperactive reflexes. Monitor the patient for the development of the signs and symptoms of opioid withdrawal.
Abrupt postoperative reversal of opioid depression after using naloxone hydrochloride may result in nausea, vomiting, sweating, tremulousness, tachycardia, hypotension, hypertension, seizures, ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation, pulmonary edema, and cardiac arrest. Death, coma, and encephalopathy have been reported as sequelae of these events. These events have primarily occurred in patients who had pre-existing cardiovascular disorders or received other drugs that may have similar adverse cardiovascular effects. Although a direct cause and effect relationship has not been established, after use of naloxone hydrochloride, monitor patients with pre-existing cardiac disease or patients who have received medications with potential adverse cardiovascular effects for hypotension, ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation, and pulmonary edema in an appropriate healthcare setting. It has been suggested that the pathogenesis of pulmonary edema associated with the use of naloxone hydrochloride is similar to neurogenic pulmonary edema, i.e., a centrally mediated massive catecholamine response leading to a dramatic shift of blood volume into the pulmonary vascular bed resulting in increased hydrostatic pressures.
There may be clinical settings, particularly the postpartum period in neonates with known or suspected exposure to maternal opioid use, where it is preferable to avoid the abrupt precipitation of opioid withdrawal symptoms. In these settings, consider use of an alternative, naloxone-containing product that can be titrated to effect and, where applicable, dosed according to weight. [see Use In Specific Populations].
Advise the patient and family members or caregivers to read the FDA-approved patient labeling (PATIENT INFORMATION and Instructions for Use).
Inform patients and their family members or caregivers about how to recognize the signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose such as the following:
Instruct patients and their family members or caregivers that, since the duration of action of most opioids may exceed that of NARCAN Nasal Spray, they must seek immediate emergency medical assistance after the first dose of NARCAN Nasal Spray and keep the patient under continued surveillance [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION, WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
Instruct patients and their family members or caregivers that the reversal of respiratory depression caused by partial agonists or mixed agonist/antagonists, such as buprenorphine and pentazocine, may be incomplete and may require higher doses of naloxone hydrochloride or repeated administration of NARCAN Nasal Spray, using a new nasal spray each time [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION, WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
Instruct patients and their family members or caregivers that the use of NARCAN Nasal Spray in patients who are opioid dependent may precipitate opioid withdrawal [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS, ADVERSE REACTIONS].
Instruct patients and their family members or caregivers to:
Long-term animal studies to evaluate the carcinogenic potential of naloxone have not been completed.
Naloxone was weakly positive in the Ames mutagenicity and in the in vitro human lymphocyte chromosome aberration test but was negative in the in vitro Chinese hamster V79 cell HGPRT mutagenicity assay and in the in vivo rat bone marrow chromosome aberration study.
Male rats were treated with 2 or 10 mg/kg naloxone for 60 days prior to mating. Female rats treated for 14-days prior to mating and throughout gestation with the same doses of naloxone (up to 12-times a human dose of 8 mg/day (two NARCAN Nasal Sprays) based on body surface area comparison). There was no adverse effect on fertility.
The limited available data on naloxone use in pregnant women are not sufficient to inform a drugassociated risk. However, there are clinical considerations [see Clinical Considerations]. In animal reproduction studies, no embryotoxic or teratogenic effects were observed in mice and rats treated with naloxone hydrochloride during the period of organogenesis at doses equivalent to 6-times and 12- times, respectively, a human dose of 8 mg/day (two NARCAN Nasal Sprays) based on body surface area comparison [see Data].
The estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population is unknown. In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2% to 4% and 15% to 20%, respectively.
Fetal/Neonatal adverse reactions
Naloxone hydrochloride crosses the placenta, and may precipitate withdrawal in the fetus, as well as in the opioid-dependent mother [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]. The fetus should be evaluated for signs of distress after NARCAN Nasal Spray is used. Careful monitoring is needed until the fetus and mother are stabilized.
Animal Data
Naloxone hydrochloride was administered during organogenesis to mice and rats at subcutaneous doses up to 10 mg/kg/day (equivalent to 6-times and 12-times, respectively, a human dose of 8 mg (two NARCAN Nasal Sprays)) (based on body surface area comparison). These studies demonstrated no embryotoxic or teratogenic effects due to naloxone hydrochloride.
Pregnant female rats were administered 2 or 10 mg/kg naloxone subcutaneously from Gestation Day 15 to Postnatal day 21. There were no adverse effects on the offspring (up to 12-times a human dose of 8 mg/day (two NARCAN Nasal Spray) based on body surface area comparison).
There is no information regarding the presence of naloxone in human milk, or the effects of naloxone on the breastfed infant or on milk production. Studies in nursing mothers have shown that naloxone does not affect prolactin or oxytocin hormone levels. Naloxone is minimally orally bioavailable.
The safety and effectiveness of NARCAN Nasal Spray have been established in pediatric patients of all ages for known or suspected opioid overdose as manifested by respiratory and/or central nervous system depression. Use of naloxone hydrochloride in all pediatric patients is supported by adult bioequivalence studies coupled with evidence from the safe and effective use of other naloxone hydrochloride drug products. No pediatric studies were conducted for NARCAN Nasal Spray.
Absorption of naloxone hydrochloride following intranasal administration in pediatric patients may be erratic or delayed. Even when the opiate-intoxicated pediatric patient responds appropriately to naloxone hydrochloride, he/she must be carefully monitored for at least 24 hours, as a relapse may occur as naloxone hydrochloride is metabolized.
In opioid-dependent pediatric patients, (including neonates), administration of naloxone hydrochloride may result in an abrupt and complete reversal of opioid effects, precipitating an acute opioid withdrawal syndrome. Neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome, unlike opioid withdrawal syndrome in adults, may be life-threatening, if not recognized, and should be treated according to protocols developed by neonatology experts [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
In settings such as in neonates with known or suspected exposure to maternal opioid use, where it may be preferable to avoid the abrupt precipitation of opioid withdrawal symptoms, consider use of an alternate naloxone-containing product that can be dosed according to weight and titrated to effect.
Also, in situations where the primary concern is for infants at risk for opioid overdose, consider whether the availability of alternate naloxone-containing products may be better suited than NARCAN Nasal Spray.
Geriatric patients have a greater frequency of decreased hepatic, renal, or cardiac function and of concomitant disease or other drug therapy. Therefore, the systemic exposure of naloxone hydrochloride can be higher in these patients.
Clinical studies of naloxone hydrochloride did not include sufficient numbers of subjects aged 65 and over to determine whether they respond differently from younger subjects. Other reported clinical experience has not identified differences in responses between the elderly and younger patients.
No information provided.
NARCAN Nasal Spray is contraindicated in patients known to be hypersensitive to naloxone hydrochloride or to any of the other ingredients.
Naloxone hydrochloride is an opioid antagonist that antagonizes opioid effects by competing for the same receptor sites.
Naloxone hydrochloride reverses the effects of opioids, including respiratory depression, sedation, and hypotension. It can also reverse the psychotomimetic and dysphoric effects of agonist-antagonists such as pentazocine.
When naloxone hydrochloride is administered intravenously, the onset of action is generally apparent within two minutes. The time to onset of action is shorter for intravenous compared to subcutaneous or intramuscular routes of administration. The duration of action is dependent upon the dose and route of administration of naloxone hydrochloride.
In a pharmacokinetic study in 30 healthy adult subjects, the relative bioavailability (BA) of one nasal spray in one nostril, (4 mg total dose, 0.1 mL of 40 mg/mL naloxone hydrochloride solution), and two nasal sprays administered as one nasal spray in each nostril (8 mg total dose, 0.1 mL of 40 mg/mL naloxone hydrochloride solution in each nostril) was compared to a single dose of 0.4 mg naloxone hydrochloride intramuscular injection. For intranasal administration, the subjects were instructed not to breathe through the nose during administration of the nasal spray, and remained fully supine for approximately one hour post-dose. For intramuscular administration, naloxone was administered as a single injection in the gluteus maximus muscle. The pharmacokinetic parameters obtained in the study are shown in Table 1.
Table 1 Mean Pharmacokinetic Parameters (CV%) for Naloxone Following NARCAN (Naloxone HCl) Nasal Spray and Intramuscular Injection of Naloxone HCl to Healthy Subjects
| Parameter | 4 mg – One Nasal Spray in one nostril 40 mg/ml (N=29) |
8 mg – Two Nasal Sprays, one in each nostril 40 mg/ml (N=29) |
0.4 mg Intramuscular Injection (N=29) |
| tmax (h)† | 0.50 (0.17, 1.00) | 0.33 (0.17, 1.00) | 0.38 (0.08, 2.05) |
| Cmax (ng/mL) | 4.83 (43) | 9.70 (36) | 0.88 (31) |
| AUCt (hr.ng/mL) | 7.87 (37) | 15.3 (23) | 1.75 (23) |
| AUC0-inf (h*ng/mL) | 7.95 (37) | 15.5 (23) | 1.79 (23) |
| t½ (h) | 2.08 (30) | 2.10 (32) | 1.24 (26) |
| Dose normalized Relative BA (%) vs. IM | 44.2 (31)†† | 43.1 (24) | 100 |
| † tmax reported as median (minimum, maximum) †† N=28 for Relative BA. |
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Figure 1 Me an ± SD Plasma Concentration of Naloxone, (a) 0-6 h and (b) 0-1h Following Intranasal Administration and Intramuscular Injection
(a)
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(b)
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The median naloxone tmax after intranasal administration of NARCAN Nasal Spray (one nasal spray in one nostril or two nasal sprays as one spray in each nostril was not significantly different compared to the 0.4 mg dose of naloxone hydrochloride intramuscular injection (Table 1).
The dose normalized relative bioavailability of one dose (4 mg) or two doses (8 mg) of NARCAN Nasal Spray as compared to the 0.4 mg dose of naloxone hydrochloride administered by intramuscular injection was 44% and 43%, respectively.
Following parenteral administration, naloxone is distributed in the body and readily crosses the placenta. Plasma protein binding occurs but is relatively weak. Plasma albumin is the major binding constituent, but significant binding of naloxone also occurs to plasma constituents other than albumin.It is not known whether naloxone is excreted into human milk.
Following a single intranasal administration of NARCAN Nasal Spray (4 mg dose of naloxone hydrochloride), the mean plasma half-life of naloxone in healthy adults was approximately 2.08 (30% CV) hours; respectively, which was longer than that observed after administrations of a 0.4 mg naloxone hydrochloride intramuscular injection, where the half-life was 1.24 hours (26% CV). In a neonatal study of naloxone hydrochloride injection, the mean (± SD) plasma half-life was observed to be 3.1 (± 0.5) hours.
Metabolism
Naloxone hydrochloride is metabolized in the liver, primarily by glucuronide conjugation, with naloxone-3-glucoronide as the major metabolite.
Excretion
After an oral or intravenous dose, about 25-40% of naloxone is excreted as metabolites in urine within 6 hours, about 50% in 24 hours, and 60-70% in 72 hours.
NARCAN (nar´ kan)
(naloxone hydrochloride) Nasal Spray
You and your family members or caregivers should read this Patient Information leaflet before an opioid emergency happens. This information does not take the place of talking with your healthcare provider about your medical condition or your treatment.
What is the most important information I should know about NARCAN Nasal Spray?
NARCAN Nasal Spray is used to temporarily reverse the effects of opioid medicines. The medicine in NARCAN Nasal Spray has no effect in people who are not taking opioid medicines. Always carry NARCAN Nasal Spray with you in case of an opioid emergency.
What is NARCAN Nasal Spray?
Who should not use NARCAN Nasal Spray?
Do not use NARCAN Nasal Spray if you are allergic to naloxone hydrochloride or any of the ingredients in NARCAN Nasal Spray. See the end of this leaflet for a complete list of ingredients in NARCAN Nasal Spray.
What should I tell my healthcare provider before using NARCAN Nasal Spray?
Before using NARCAN Nasal Spray, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
Tell your healthcare provider about the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
How should I use NARCAN Nasal Spray?
Read the “Instructions for Use” at the end of this Patient Information leaflet for detailed information about the right way to use NARCAN Nasal Spray.
What are the possible side effects of NARCAN Nasal Spray?
NARCAN Nasal Spray may cause serious side effects, including:
In infants under 4 weeks old who have been receiving opioids regularly, sudden opioid withdrawal may be lifethreatening if not treated the right way. Signs and symptoms include: seizures, crying more than usual, and increased reflexes.
These are not all of the possible side effects of NARCAN Nasal Spray. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
How should I store NARCAN Nasal Spray?
Keep NARCAN Nasal Spray and all medicines out of the reach of children.
General information about the safe and effective use of NARCAN Nasal Spray.
Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in a Patient Information leaflet. Do not use NARCAN Nasal Spray for a condition for which it was not prescribed. You can ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider for information about NARCAN Nasal Spray that is written for health professionals.
What are the ingredients in NARCAN Nasal Spray?
Active ingredient: naloxone hydrochloride
Inactive ingredients: benzalkonium chloride (preservative), disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (stabilizer), sodium chloride, hydrochloric acid to adjust pH and sterile water NARCAN Nasal Spray is not made with natural rubber latex.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE
NARCAN
(nar´ kan)
(naloxone hydrochloride) Nasal Spray
You and your family members or caregivers should read the Instructions for Use that comes with NARCAN Nasal Spray before using it. Talk to your healthcare provider if you and your family members or caregivers have any questions about the use of NARCAN Nasal Spray.
Use NARCAN Nasal Spray for known or suspected opioid overdose in adults and children.
Important: For use in the nose only.
How to use NARCAN Nasal Spray:
Step 1. Lay the person on their back to receive a dose of NARCAN Nasal Spray.
Step 2. Remove NARCAN Nasal Spray from the box. Peel back the tab with the circle to open the NARCAN Nasal Spray.
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Note: NARCAN Nasal Spray freezes at temperatures below 5°F (-15°C). If this happens, the device will not spray.Get emergency medical help right away if this happens. Do not wait for NARCAN Nasal Spray to thaw. NARCAN Nasal Spray may still be used if it has been thawed after being previously frozen.
Step 3. Hold the NARCAN Nasal Spray with your thumb on the bottom of the red plunger and your first and middle fingers on either side of the nozzle.
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Step 4. Tilt the person’s head back and provide support under the neck with your hand. Gently insert the tip of the nozzle into one nostril until your fingers on either side of the nozzle are against the bottom of the person’s nose.
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Step 5. Press the red plunger firmly to give the dose of NARCAN Nasal Spray.
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Step 6. Remove the NARCAN Nasal Spray from the nostril after giving the dose.
What to do after NARCAN Nasal Spray has been used:
Step 7. Get emergency medical help right away.
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Step 8. Put the used NARCAN Nasal Spray back into its box.
Step 9. Throw away (dispose of) the used NARCAN Nasal Spray in a place that is away from children.
How should I store NARCAN Nasal Spray?
Keep NARCAN Nasal Spray and all medicines out of the reach of children.
This Instructions for Use has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
