After reaching a settlement with the state of New York this week over its promotion of opioid overdose reversal spray Opvee to public officials, Indivior is reportedly ending all Opvee promotional activities.
The Sept. 29 settlement (PDF) was the result of an investigation by New York’s Office of the Attorney General (OAG) into a county sheriff’s office's purchase of Opvee. The prescription med is not approved by the state’s health department for distribution in orders that would allow it to be used by nonmedical personnel in an overdose prevention program—though its FDA approval allows for administration by anyone with or without medical training.
According to the OAG, Indivior representatives had promoted Opvee to authority figures in several New York counties despite the lack of a required state approval.
The Broome County Sheriff’s Office eventually placed a $22,500 non-patient-specific standing order for 300 units in the spring of 2024, triggering a cease-and-desist letter from the OAG in July 2024, according to a court document.
Though Indivior agreed to the timeline of events in the settlement, it did not admit guilt in the OAG’s finding that the company violated New York state law.
Under the agreement, Indivior must return all the public funds it received for Opvee, accept the return of 294 unused units purchased by the sheriff’s office, “enhance” training for commercial personnel and cease all “unfair, false, misleading, deceptive or unconscionable” promotions of Opvee.
According to an announcement Tuesday from the OAG, shortly after signing the agreement, “Indivior informed stakeholders that it would discontinue promotion of Opvee altogether.”
Indivior did not immediately respond to Fierce’s request for comment.
Only naloxone—branded by Emergent BioSolutions as Narcan— has been approved by the New York health department for use by nonmedical personnel in overdose prevention programs. Opvee has a different active ingredient called nalmefene.
In the announcement, the OAG brought up Indivior’s past selling opioid medications and also noted that many health experts have warned against the widespread use of Opvee over Narcan. Data show that Opvee is about as effective as Narcan but may prolong severe withdrawal symptoms due to its significantly longer duration.
“Indivior cannot rewrite its history and exploit this drug crisis for profit,” Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. “After playing a role in fueling the opioid epidemic, the company tried to position itself as part of the solution while misleading public officials and the communities they serve about which overdose treatments are safe, legal and effective.”
Opvee has been off to a slow sales start since its FDA approval in 2023. For all of 2024, Indivior reported (PDF) net revenues of $15 million for the product, all of which stemmed from two orders by the U.S. Biomedical Advancement Research and Development Authority. For 2025, the company has predicted net revenues between $10 million and $15 million.
As of last month, Indivior is now considering ridding itself of Opvee completely. A late-August SEC filing laid out plans for a restructuring program that will include layoffs and prioritize the growth of opioid use disorder treatment Sublocade. The filing also noted that Indivior is “exploring strategic alternatives” for Opvee and its non-U.S. business, including potential divestitures or restructures.