Hikma donates 50,000 doses of injectable naloxone to help expand non-profit access to lifesaving treatment for reversing opioid overdoses

Donation will help ease shortage of injectable naloxone faced by US harm-reduction programs

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Oct 22, 2021, 08:00 ET

LONDON, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (Hikma), the multinational pharmaceutical company, announces it has donated 50,000 vials of Naloxone HCl Injection, USP – a treatment for reversing opioid overdoses – to members of the Opioid Safety and Naloxone Network (OSNN) Buyers Club to help ease an acute shortage of the medicine currently facing non-profit harm-reduction programs in the US.

OSNN is a collective of over 100 harm-reduction programs in the US who distribute naloxone directly to people who use drugs, their loved ones, and their communities. Some of their member programs have been involved in community distribution of naloxone for more than 20 years. Hikma's donation will be supplied from its state-of-the-art sterile injectable manufacturing facility in Cherry Hill, NJ, and is being provided in collaboration with Hikma Community Health, a new division of Hikma focused on providing a range of treatment options in the US for substance use disorder and opioid overdose.

As the US FDA has noted, naloxone is a critical tool for individuals, families, first responders and communities to help reduce opioid overdose deaths, and expanding access to all forms of naloxone is one of the top ways to address the overdose crisis.

"In the middle of a devastating overdose crisis that killed a record number of our friends, family, colleagues, and community members, we need to do everything we can to save lives. Naloxone is our best tool, but unless we take steps to equip harm reduction organizations, it will be out of reach to the people most likely to use it and prevent an overdose death," said Maya Doe-Simkins, co-founder of the Opioid Safety and Naloxone Network Buyers Club. "As we confront a nationwide shortage of affordable naloxone, we're grateful that Hikma has come forward to share naloxone with Buyers Club organizations. These programs and the people who use drugs that they serve are the backbone of overdose prevention efforts for the country. We need more leaders and organizations to step up and support harm reduction in this precarious moment before it's too late."

"Hikma has played a leading role in addressing shortages of critical medicines in the US, launching more than 20 medicines into shortage situations in recent years and receiving an award from the FDA for our efforts," said Joel Rosenstack, Chief Commercial Officer, US Injectables, Hikma. "We are proud to establish this partnership with OSNN, which furthers our work to resolve drug shortages and aligns with our Hikma Community Health initiative to provide a range of naloxone, buprenorphine and methadone medication options to meet the urgent needs of US patients and communities."

Hikma's naloxone donation continues the company's long-running commitment to supporting organizations that address health issues in underserved communities around the world. In 2020, Hikma donated over $4 million USD in medicines through its global medicine donation program.

Enquiries

Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC

Steve Weiss	+1 732 788 8279
David Belian	+1 848 254 4875
US Communications and Public Affairs	[email protected]

About Hikma

(LSE: HIK) (NASDAQ Dubai: HIK) (OTC: HKMPY) (rated BBB-/stable S&P and BBB-/stable Fitch)

Hikma helps put better health within reach every day for millions of people around the world. For more than 40 years, we've been creating high-quality medicines and making them accessible to the people who need them. Headquartered in the UK, we are a global company with a local presence across the United States (US), the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Europe, and we use our unique insight and expertise to transform cutting-edge science into innovative solutions that transform people's lives. We're committed to our customers, and the people they care for, and by thinking creatively and acting practically, we provide them with a broad range of branded and non-branded generic medicines. Together, our 8,600 colleagues are helping to shape a healthier world that enriches all our communities. We are a leading licensing partner, and through our venture capital arm, are helping bring innovative health technologies to people around the world. For more information, please visit: www.hikma.com

About Hikma Community Health

Hikma Community Health, a subdivision of Hikma Specialty USA, is focused on addressing underserved health burdens that have ripple effects throughout US communities, including substance use disorder and opioid overdose. Through Hikma Community Health, Hikma provides a range of naloxone, buprenorphine and methadone medications options designed to meet the specific needs of each patient and community.

SOURCE Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.