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Oakland County Sheriff says Opvee is 'a game changer' in reversing ODs

By and Nour Rahal
Published  November 10, 2023 7:46pm EST
Health
FOX 2 Detroit

Oakland County Sheriff's Office: 1st in US to carry Opvee

In May, the FDA approved Opvee - a nasal spray to reverse opioid overdoses. Now, the Oakland County Sheriff's Office has taken the lead in being the first in the nation to carry the life-saving medication.

FOX 2 (WJBK) - The Oakland County Sheriff's Office became the first in the nation to carry Opvee – a new opioid overdose reversal nasal spray, FDA approved in May.

Opvee can be used during natural and synthetic opioid overdoses and is more potent than Narcan, said Sheriff Michael Bouchard during a press conference on Friday. It stays in the body for over 10 hours while Narcan wears off in about 2 hours.

"Instead of having to use three or four doses of Narcan, we can use one (OPVEE)," Bouchard said. "It's really a game changer for us."

Steve Norris with the Alliance of Coalition's for Healthy Communities said those saving someone from an overdose should use any opioid reversal medicine they have at their disposal.

Opvee "isn't to replace (Narcan), it's to provide another option," Norris said.

Synthetic drugs like Fentanyl caused nearly 88% of all opioid-involved deaths in 2021, according to the CDC.

"Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin," said Nina DeLorenzo, Chief Global Impact Officer of Indivior – the manufacturer of OPVEE. "Something that's going to counteract the current crisis is really something that we think is needed in the community."