The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved Narcan nasal spray, the first FDA-approved nasal spray version of naloxone hydrochloride.

Drug overdose deaths, driven largely by prescription drug overdoses, are now the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S. — surpassing motor vehicle crashes.

"Combating the opioid abuse epidemic is a top priority for the FDA," said Stephen Ostroff, M.D., acting commissioner, Food and Drug Administration. "We cannot stand by while Americans are dying. While naloxone will not solve the underlying problems of the opioid epidemic, we are speeding to review new formulations that will ultimately save lives that might otherwise be lost to drug addiction and overdose."

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