CODA has received a generous donation of EVZIO ™ auto-injectors from kaleo, the Richmond, Virginia-based pharmaceutical company. These devices are saving lives all over the country.

“EVZIO ™ is the first and only FDA-approved naloxone product specifically indicated for the emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose as manifested by respiratory and/or central nervous system depression. It is intended for immediate administration as emergency therapy in settings where opioids may be present, including outside of supervised medical settings,” says the company.

(Check out the KOIN 6 News coverage of CODA’s training session using the devices. As more news coverage airs, we will post updates below at end of post.)

Nearly 17,000 Americans die each year from prescription opioid overdose and unintended drug poisoning has surpassed automobile collisions as the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., driven largely by prescription opioids.

Opioid overdose can cause a person’s breathing to severely slow down and even stop. EVZIO is a pre-filled, single-use, hand-held auto-injector that works by temporarily blocking the effect of an opioid, potentially reversing the life-threatening respiratory depression and allowing the recipient to breathe more regularly. (Each EVZIO device uses voice and visual cues to assist in guiding the user through the process and delivers a single 0.4 mg dose of naloxone.) As the manufacturers of the device remind medical providers and others who use EVZIO — it is not a substitute for emergency medical care.

We have seen the number of overdose deaths from opioid-based prescription drugs and heroin rise to the level of an epidemic,” says CODA’s Executive Director Tim Hartnett. “The ability to provide potentially life- saving doses of naloxone in a portable, easy-to-use system is a major step forward for us and for the wider community.”

Hartnett continued, “CODA ‘s mission is to help people who struggle with substance use disorders regain their health and rebuild their lives. This donation gives us a tool that supports this vital healthcare, allowing us to prevent some of the tragic unintentional drug poisoning and overdoses that have become so common.”

For more information about opioid use disorder and treatment, call CODA’s Call Center at 855-SEE-CODA (855-733-2632).

Want to be added to CODA’s contact list for upcoming media events such as this training session? Contact Stephen Cassell, CODA’s Director of Marketing.

 

To see KGW’s great coverage, go to CODA’s Facebook page!