Reckitt Benckiser To Develop Heroin Overdose Nasal Spray And Alcohol Abuse Drug

Reckitt Benckiser Group announced that it will develop a heroin overdose nasal spray with AntiOp Inc. The AntiOp deal is the second move that Reckitt made in one week. Reckitt and XenoPort announced last week in a press release that they had entered into a licensing agreement for a drug for alcohol abuse, arbaclofen placarbil.

The deals revive Reckitt’s pharmaceutical unit, which has been in the shadow of its consumer products division, which offers leading products like Mucinex and Durex condoms.

Reckitt and AntiOp Partnership

According the agreement, Reckitt and AntiOp will co-develop a nasal spray for heroin overdose and prescription painkiller overdose. Upon regulatory and marketing approval, Reckitt has the option to buy all the rights to the nasal spray. Because Reckitt’s core business is consumer products and the pharmaceutical business has been shrinking, the new alliance is evidence that Reckitt does not intend to let the pharmaceutical business sink. Additionally, the move positions the company for a better market valuation.

Drug overdoses are increasing, vying with car crashes as the leading cause of injury and death in the U.S. The standard treatment is an injection of naloxone. Reckitt intends to formulate naloxone in a nasal spray so it is easier for caregivers or witnesses to administer. An easier administration method can save time and potentially the victim’s life.

Reckitt and XenoPort

Reckitt makes a heroin and opioid painkiller treatment, Suboxone. Due to generic competition, sales of Suboxone are falling. Therefore, Reckitt entered into a partnership with XenoPort to develop a drug for alcohol abuse, as current treatments are psychosocial support-oriented and not pharmaceutical, presenting Reckitt with an opportunity for growth. XenoPort discovered and patented the new chemical entity (NCE), arbaclofen placarbil. Reckitt obtained exclusive worldwide rights for XenoPort's oral product and intends to take it Phase IIB proof-of-concept studies, as XenoPort has completed preclinical, clinical pharmacology, and manufacturing studies, and dosed over 1,300 human subjects.   

Shaun Thaxter, CEO of Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals, said, "Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals recognizes that there is a tremendous need for more effective, well-tolerated treatment options among the growing patient population with alcohol use disorders, and we believe arbaclofen placarbil is a natural fit for our growing addiction treatment pipeline.”