ARS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPRY), a biopharmaceutical
company dedicated to empowering at-risk patients and caregivers to
better protect themselves from allergic reactions that could lead
to anaphylaxis, announced today that it will be launching the
neffyinSchools Program in January
2025. The program will provide eligible public and private K-12
schools in the U.S. the opportunity to receive two cartons (four
single use doses) of
neffy® (epinephrine nasal
spray) 2mg for use in emergency situations at no cost to the
school.
neffy 2mg was recently approved for the
treatment of Type I Allergic Reactions, including anaphylaxis, in
adults and children who weigh ≥30 kg (66 lbs.) Participating
schools will be eligible to receive replacement doses when the
product is used or expires.
Type 1 allergic reactions can be life-threatening, can happen in
minutes, and can be caused by stinging and biting insects,
foods, medication, exercise, or other unknown causes. Studies show
that up to 18% of children with food allergies have had a reaction
from accidentally eating food allergens while at school.1 In
addition, 25% of severe and potentially life-threatening reactions
(anaphylaxis) reported at schools happened in children with no
previous diagnosis of food allergy.1
“The potential for severe allergic reactions to food,
medication, exercise or insect bites can quickly result in an
emergency if epinephrine is not available. Since many unexpected
allergic reactions happen during the school day, readily available
epinephrine is crucial,” says Richard Lowenthal, Co-Founder,
President and CEO of ARS Pharmaceuticals. “Additionally, many
people, including students, have a fear of needles which could
impact, delay or prevent the use of an auto-injector. We are
committed to making neffy, the only needle-free
epinephrine treatment option, available free of charge to all
eligible schools through our
neffyinSchools program because we
know neffy will save lives. We
also understand that there are currently many challenges for
schools that stock epinephrine. neffy is safer for
school staff when administering epinephrine in allergy emergency
situations, is easier to dispose as neffy doesn’t
contain any sharps, and it has a long shelf life of 30 months.”
In advance of the
neffyinSchools launch, schools
are encouraged to review applicable state legislation to ensure
neffy meets the requirements of local epinephrine
stocking and indemnification laws for undesignated use. Currently,
49 states and Washington DC have legislation in place to allow
schools to stock epinephrine. The details of each state’s
legislation, and ability to stock neffy
specifically, may vary. For states that do not yet allow for
neffy because stocking protocols have not been
updated to reflect this product and/or route of administration,
school administrators may need to contact their state legislator to
request modifications to state legislation to ensure school
personnel are indemnified from liability for use of FDA approved
epinephrine products. Many patient advocacy groups have information
and resources on this topic that can be found here.
A webinar will be hosted on December 12 to provide information
to school nurses and adminstrators about the
neffyinSchools program, general
information about neffy as well as training and
other online resources. Following the program’s official launch in
January 2025, ARS Pharma will provide application instructions to
schools to receive neffy 2mg.
More information about this program can be found at
www.ars-pharma.com and www.neffy.com under the Community Program
tab. Additional updates will be provided on ARS LinkedIn and X
pages. The neffyinSchools program
is subject to the more detailed terms and conditions which will be
available on the Company’s website prior to the official launch of
the neffyinSchools program.
About
neffyinSchools
ARS is committed to working with our communities to provide
essential epinephrine in schools. Eligible public and private K-12
schools in the U.S. (excluding territories) will be able to receive
two cartons (four single use doses) of neffy 2mg
for adults and children who weigh ≥30 kg (66 lbs.), in emergency
situations. The neffyinSchools
program is only for undesignated use, and children with
prescriptions for epinephrine from their healthcare provider must
continue to supply medication to their school in accordance with
school guidelines. Schools must review applicable state legislation
to ensure neffy meets the requirements of local
epinephrine stocking and administration laws for undesignated use.
The supplemental NDA for neffy 1mg dose was
granted priority review by the FDA and has a PDUFA date set for
March 6, 2025. If approved, neffy 1mg will be
available to schools for students who weigh between 33 and 66 lbs.
The neffyinSchools program is subject to the more detailed terms
and conditions which will be available on the Company’s website
prior to the official launch of the neffyinSchools program
About
neffy®
neffy is an intranasal epinephrine product for
patients with Type I allergic reactions including food,
medications, and insect bites that could lead to life-threatening
anaphylaxis.
INDICATION AND IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FOR
neffy (epinephrine nasal spray)
INDICATION
neffy 2 mg is indicated for emergency treatment
of Type I allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, in adult and
pediatric patients who weigh 30 kg or greater.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
It is recommended that patients are prescribed and have
immediate access to two neffy nasal sprays at all
times. In the absence of clinical improvement or if symptoms worsen
after initial treatment, administer a second dose of
neffy in the same nostril with a new nasal spray
starting 5 minutes after the first dose.
neffy is for use in the nose only.
Advise patients when to seek emergency medical assistance for
close monitoring of the anaphylactic episode and in the event
further treatment is required.
Absorption of neffy may be affected by
underlying structural or anatomical nasal conditions.
Administer with caution to patients who have heart disease;
epinephrine may aggravate angina pectoris or produce ventricular
arrhythmias. Arrhythmias, including fatal ventricular fibrillation,
have been reported, particularly in patients with underlying
cardiac disease or taking cardiac glycosides, diuretics, or
anti-arrhythmics.
The presence of a sulfite in neffy should not
deter use.
neffy may alter nasal mucosa for up to 2 weeks
after administration and increase systemic absorption of nasal
products, including neffy.
Patients with certain medical conditions or who take certain
medications for allergies, depression, thyroid disorders, diabetes,
and hypertension, may be at greater risk for adverse reactions.
Epinephrine can temporarily exacerbate the underlying condition
or increase symptoms in patients with the following:
hyperthyroidism, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, renal impairment.
Epinephrine should be administered with caution in patients with
these conditions, including elderly patients and pregnant
women.
Adverse reactions to neffy may include throat
irritation, intranasal paresthesia, headache, nasal discomfort,
feeling jittery, paresthesia, fatigue, tremor, rhinorrhea, nasal
pruritus, sneezing, abdominal pain, gingival pain, hypoesthesia
oral, nasal congestion, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.
These are not all of the possible side effects of
neffy. To report suspected adverse reactions,
contact ARS Pharmaceuticals Operations, Inc. at 1-877-MY-NEFFY
(877-696-3339) or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or
www.fda.gov/medwatch.
For additional information on neffy, please see
Full Prescribing Information at www.neffy.com.
About Type I Allergic Reactions Including
Anaphylaxis
Type I allergic reactions are serious and potentially
life-threatening events that can occur within minutes of exposure
to an allergen and require immediate treatment with epinephrine,
the only FDA-approved medication for these reactions. While
epinephrine autoinjectors have been shown to be highly effective,
there are well published limitations that result in many patients
and caregivers delaying or not administering treatment in an
emergency situation. These limitations include fear of the needle,
lack of portability, needle-related safety concerns, lack of
reliability, and complexity of the devices. There are approximately
40 million people in the United States who experience Type I
allergic reactions. Of this group, over the last three years,
approximately 20 million people have been diagnosed and treated for
severe Type I allergic reactions that may lead to anaphylaxis, but
(in 2023, for example) only 3.2 million filled their active
epinephrine autoinjector prescription, and of those, only half
consistently carry their prescribed autoinjector. Even if patients
or caregivers carry an autoinjector, more than half either delay or
do not administer the device when needed in an emergency.
About ARS Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
ARS Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to
empowering at-risk patients and their caregivers to better protect
patients from allergic reactions that could lead to anaphylaxis.
The Company is
commercializing neffy® 2
mg (trade
name EURneffy® in
the EU) (previously referred to as ARS-1), an epinephrine nasal
spray indicated in the U.S. for emergency treatment of Type I
allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, in adult and pediatric
patients who weigh 30 kg or greater, and in the EU for emergency
treatment of allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) due to insect stings
or bites, foods, medicinal products, and other allergens as well as
idiopathic or exercise induced anaphylaxis in adults and children
who weigh 30 kg or greater. For more information,
visit www.ars-pharma.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that are not purely historical
in nature are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of
the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These
statements include, but are not limited to: the expected timing and
launch of neffyinSchools; the
needle-free profile of neffy and making
neffy available at no cost to eligible public and
private K-12 schools increasing the likelihood that such schools
will both carry and administer adrenaline to students experiencing
an allergic reaction; the expectation that neffy
will save lives; the potential for stocking neffy
to qualify under indemnification laws for undesignated use; and
other statements that are not historical fact. Because such
statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results
may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements. Words such as “anticipate,” “expects,”
“if,” “may,” “potential,” “on track to,” “plans,” “will,” “would,”
and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking
statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon ARS
Pharmaceuticals’ current expectations and involve assumptions that
may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. Actual results
and the timing of events could differ materially from those
anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of
various risks and uncertainties, which include, without limitation:
potential safety and other complications from
neffy; ARS Pharmaceuticals may not receive the
anticipated benefits from the
neffyinSchools program; public
and private schools may be participate in the
neffyinSchools program to the
degree or on the timelines expected by ARS Pharmaceuticals the
scope, progress and expansion of developing and commercializing
neffy; the potential for payors to delay, limit or
deny coverage for neffy; the size and growth of
the market therefor and the rate and degree of market acceptance
thereof vis-à-vis intramuscular injectable products; ARS
Pharmaceuticals’ ability to protect its intellectual property
position; the impact of government laws and regulations; and the
PDUFA target action date may be delayed due to various factors
outside ARS Pharmaceuticals’ control. Additional risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to
differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking
statements are included under the caption “Risk Factors” in ARS
Pharmaceuticals’ Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter
ended September 30, 2024, filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on November 13, 2024. These
documents can also be accessed on ARS Pharmaceuticals’ website
at www.ars-pharma.com by clicking on the link “Financials
& Filings” under the “Investors & Media” tab.
The forward-looking statements included in this press release
are made only as of the date hereof. ARS Pharmaceuticals assumes no
obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking
statements, except as required by law.
ARS Investor Contact:Justin ChakmaARS
Pharmaceuticalsjustinc@ars-pharma.com
ARS Media Contact:Christy CurranSam Brown
Inc.615.414.8668christycurran@sambrown.com
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Voluntary
Guidelines for Managing Food Allergies in Schools and Early Care
and Education Programs. Washington, DC: US Department of Health and
Human Services; 2013.
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