Office of National Drug Control Policy

PDFNJ Executive Director Named “Hero” in Authority Magazine Series

Retrieved on: 
Monday, October 30, 2023

Millburn, NJ, Oct. 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey's Executive Director Angelo Valente was featured in the Authority Magazine “Heroes of the Addiction Crisis” series.

Key Points: 
  • Millburn, NJ, Oct. 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey's Executive Director Angelo Valente was featured in the Authority Magazine “Heroes of the Addiction Crisis” series.
  • A lifelong resident of Hoboken, Valente has been at the helm of PDFNJ since its inception in 1992.
  • The National Association of Government Communicators also lauded the organization for orchestrating the country's most effective public health education campaign.
  • Since its inception, the Partnership has garnered 226 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.

The roots of the North American opioid crisis, and 3 key strategies for stopping it

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, October 17, 2023

The Netflix series Painkiller recently depicted how the over-prescribing of the medicine OxyContin wreaked havoc on American society.

Key Points: 
  • The Netflix series Painkiller recently depicted how the over-prescribing of the medicine OxyContin wreaked havoc on American society.
  • Today the grim reality is that opioid-related deaths in North America reached a record level in 2022, with more than 109,000 fatalities in the United States.
  • The opioid overdose crisis has been ongoing for over two decades in Canada and the U.S.

The roots of the crisis

    • After introduction of the opioid painkiller OxyContin in 1996, Purdue Pharma marketed the drug aggressively, underplaying its potential for addiction.
    • To address addiction, prescription monitoring programs aimed to limit supply but many patients then sought illicit opioids, leading to large heroin markets in the 2010s.
    • Fentanyl is extremely toxic — up to 100 times stronger than heroin — and is largely responsible for the increase in overdose deaths.

1. Treat substance use disorders as a public health problem

    • In reality the data shows that illegal drug prices have fallen whilst purity and deaths have increased.
    • Overdose deaths have also increased in prisons showing that places with even the highest level of security are vulnerable to drug smuggling.
    • Focusing on the opioid crisis through a public-health approach includes massively increasing access to care and treatment for patients experiencing substance use disorder.

2. Find better treatments through research

    • Although these are effective when used, there are barriers to access and long-term engagement with these treatments.
    • We need more innovation to rapidly increase access to care and to find better therapies that suit the needs of different patients.
    • These research initiatives aim to increase the number of evidence-based treatments that can be used to enhance patient recovery and quality of life.

3. Stop the international spread of the epidemic

    • Currently the epidemic is contained within North America but there is the real concern of the crisis spreading to other countries.
    • Clinicians must remain actively vigilant on how they prescribe these drugs.
    • There should be greater international regulation in the marketing and operational strategies of pharmaceuticals, and oversight of the “revolving door” between industry and regulator employment.
    • There is a potential conflict of interest when pharma companies hire the government employees who oversee their applications.

Hikma marks two-year anniversary of KLOXXADO® launch by surpassing 375,000 doses donated in the US

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, October 3, 2023

LONDON, Oct. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (Hikma), the multinational pharmaceutical company, announces that on the two-year anniversary of its launch, it has now donated more than 375,000 doses of KLOXXADO® (naloxone HCl) nasal spray 8mg in the US – an important milestone in its ongoing work to help combat the opioid overdose epidemic.

Key Points: 
  • With the help of more than 40 donation partners, KLOXXADO® has been distributed for free in places it can have the biggest impact, including music festivals, downtowns and schools.
  • "Since its launch two years ago, KLOXXADO® has quickly become an essential tool for those on the front lines working to reverse opioid overdoses and save lives," said Brian Hoffmann, President, Hikma Generics.
  • Furthering its partnership with Remedy Alliance through a first-of-its-kind agreement for Hikma to provide a private label, discounted naloxone injectable medicine specifically for the harm reduction community.
  • Ensuring widespread access to KLOXXADO® by providing a Co-Pay Assistance Program for eligible individuals, further increasing access and decreasing out-of-pocket costs to this life-saving medication.

Progress in the Battle Against Opioid Epidemic: New Jersey Records Decrease in Overdoses

Retrieved on: 
Monday, September 25, 2023

New Jersey government and advocacy community have worked together to save lives from the opioid crisis, including the designation by the legislature and Gov.

Key Points: 
  • New Jersey government and advocacy community have worked together to save lives from the opioid crisis, including the designation by the legislature and Gov.
  • Murphy of October 6, 2023 as Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day – a day of awareness and education on the opioid epidemic coordinated by PDFNJ – and, the Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day Learning Series.
  • PDFNJ is also working with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey to educate student-athletes on the risks of opioids.
  • Since its inception, the Partnership has garnered 217 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.

Premier BSA/AML Gaming Conference Set to Launch in Two Weeks in Las Vegas

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, August 29, 2023

LAS VEGAS, Aug. 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Annual BSA/AML Gaming Conference is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, September 12th, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas Nevada.

Key Points: 
  • LAS VEGAS, Aug. 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Annual BSA/AML Gaming Conference is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, September 12th, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas Nevada.
  • This event, organized and hosted by the BSA-AML Compliance Group, is the premier anti-money laundering compliance conference for the gaming industry, featuring over a dozen government officials and other experts in gaming, sanctions, anti-money laundering, and compliance.
  • The Main Conference will open on Tuesday morning with a Welcome Address from Dr. Brittnie Watkins of the Nevada Gaming Control Board.
  • The Control Board oversees Nevada's gaming industry, and protects the stability and integrity of the gaming industry through investigations, licensing, and enforcement of laws and regulations.

Adamis Pharmaceuticals Reports Second Quarter 2023 Financial Results and Provides Corporate Update

Retrieved on: 
Monday, August 21, 2023

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Adamis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NASDAQ: ADMP), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2023, and provided an update on recent corporate developments.

Key Points: 
  • SAN DIEGO, Aug. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Adamis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NASDAQ: ADMP), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2023, and provided an update on recent corporate developments.
  • Revenues for the second quarter ending June 30, 2023 were $0.0 million compared to $0.0 million for the same period in 2022.
  • Revenues were negligible in both periods because no manufacturing of commercial products occurred in the second quarter in 2023 or 2022.
  • Research and development (R&D) expense for the second quarter of 2023 was $0.4 million compared to $3.2 million in the second quarter of the prior year.

FDA Approval of RiVive(TM) Is a Critical Milestone in Making Emergency Treatment of Opioid Overdose More Widely Available

Retrieved on: 
Friday, July 28, 2023

This critical milestone will help prevent opioid overdose deaths by making free or low-cost over-the-counter (OTC) naloxone nasal spray available to everyone in the United States.

Key Points: 
  • This critical milestone will help prevent opioid overdose deaths by making free or low-cost over-the-counter (OTC) naloxone nasal spray available to everyone in the United States.
  • As a nonprofit pharmaceutical company, HRT is engaging additional funding partners to help make its affordable opioid overdose treatment more accessible.
  • "2
    HRT began manufacturing RiVive at-risk to minimize the typical lag between FDA approval and launch of a new product.
  • To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
    The FDA approval of RiVive™ is a critical milestone in making over-the-counter, low-cost emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose widely available across the U.S.
    To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

Clearfork Academy Launches Teen Outpatient and Partial Hospitalization Programs Following ~1500% Fentanyl Seizure Spike

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, July 26, 2023

FORT WORTH, Texas, July 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Clearfork Academy, a leading adolescent substance abuse and mental health treatment center, today announces the launch of its Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) in response to skyrocketing drug seizures by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) as overdose deaths continue to rise nationwide.

Key Points: 
  • Declassified government data shows a one-year ~1566.66% increase in fentanyl doses seized by Federal agents in Dallas-Fort Worth and surrounding counties.
  • Clearfork Academy's two new outpatient facilities will prevent rising overdose deaths by addressing the root causes of substance abuse.
  • Clearfork Academy offers cognitive behavioral therapy, family therapy, academic support, and recreational therapy to encourage personal growth and long-term recovery in adolescents struggling with substance abuse.
  • In addition to substance abuse recovery and drug detox, Clearfork Academy offers mental health services for teens suffering from depression, anxiety, trauma, suicidal ideation, self-harm, and other diagnoses.

SIVAD Diagnostic Medical Group LLC (SIVAD) Combats Opioid Deaths with Launch of HarmGuard FX™, the Only Combination Fentanyl and Xylazine Test Strip Available in the U.S.

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, June 28, 2023

BEAR, Del., June 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SIVAD Diagnostic Medical Group LLC (SIVAD), a minority-owned company dedicated to addressing the unique needs of underserved and unserved communities in the United States and globally, today announced the launch of HarmGuard FX in Delaware, the first state in the nation to distribute this groundbreaking approach to reducing overdose deaths. HarmGuard FX is a single, low-cost strip that provides an affordable, reliable way for people to test substances for fentanyl and xylazine (popularly known as tranq), two dangerous adulterants that are exacerbating the already critical opioid epidemic.

Key Points: 
  • HarmGuard FX is a single, low-cost strip that provides an affordable, reliable way for people to test substances for fentanyl and xylazine (popularly known as tranq), two dangerous adulterants that are exacerbating the already critical opioid epidemic.
  • SIVAD's Harm Stopper Program includes the HarmGuard FX test strip and the Harm Stopper Portal.
  • The portal includes information for commercial and public sites and resources, including all standalone pharmacies and pharmacies within larger stores.
  • In 2022, at least 537 Delaware citizens died from drug overdoses, according to the state's Division of Forensic Science – the most overdose deaths on record for the state.3

SIVAD Diagnostic Medical Group LLC (SIVAD) Combats Opioid Deaths with Launch of HarmGuard FX™, the Only Combination Fentanyl and Xylazine Test Strip Available in the U.S.

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, June 28, 2023

BEAR, Del., June 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SIVAD Diagnostic Medical Group LLC (SIVAD), a minority-owned company dedicated to addressing the unique needs of underserved and unserved communities in the United States and globally, today announced the launch of HarmGuard FX in Delaware, the first state in the nation to distribute this groundbreaking approach to reducing overdose deaths. HarmGuard FX is a single, low-cost strip that provides an affordable, reliable way for people to test substances for fentanyl and xylazine (popularly known as tranq), two dangerous adulterants that are exacerbating the already critical opioid epidemic.

Key Points: 
  • HarmGuard FX is a single, low-cost strip that provides an affordable, reliable way for people to test substances for fentanyl and xylazine (popularly known as tranq), two dangerous adulterants that are exacerbating the already critical opioid epidemic.
  • SIVAD's Harm Stopper Program includes the HarmGuard FX test strip and the Harm Stopper Portal.
  • The portal includes information for commercial and public sites and resources, including all standalone pharmacies and pharmacies within larger stores.
  • In 2022, at least 537 Delaware citizens died from drug overdoses, according to the state's Division of Forensic Science – the most overdose deaths on record for the state.3