Biden drug czar to summon naloxone makers for price roundtable

WASHINGTON — The White House is summoning naloxone manufacturers for a roundtable focused on the medication’s price, the Biden administration’s top drug policy official told STAT.

The move would represent the White House’s most concrete action to date to address the price of naloxone, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses. While naloxone is viewed as a critical tool in the fight against drug overdose deaths, its high cost has long been a barrier.

In particular, Narcan, the naloxone product that received over-the-counter approval in March, remains cost-prohibitive for many consumers, public health organizations, and harm-reduction groups. Its manufacturer, Emergent BioSolutions, said recently that it would aim to price a two-pack of Narcan at under $50.

In an interview with STAT, Rahul Gupta, the director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, said that the Biden administration will keep a close eye on retail prices for Narcan and other naloxone products.

“We are going to be monitoring the price,” he said. “I’m having naloxone manufacturers come to the White House, and we’re going to do a roundtable. Because I want to make sure of exactly the concerns here. I hear it, and we’re going to be having that conversation in the White House.”