Pharma company offers free epinephrine to schools

Free epi nasal spray for schools: ©Alexkich - stock.adobe.com

ARS Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced on Tuesday the launch of a new program to provide its neffy epinephrine nasal spray free to schools. 

The program, neffyinSchools, provides eligible public and private K-12 schools in the U.S. with the opportunity to receive two cartons (four single use doses) of neffy 2 mg for use in emergency situations at no cost to the school via the School Health Corp. SHConnect platform. 

Neffy 2 mg was approved by the FDA in August 2024 for the treatment of Type I Allergic Reactions, including anaphylaxis, in adults and children who weigh at least 66 lbs, the first approved intranasal epinephrine product. A 1 mg version for smaller children is currently under FDA review.

Participating schools will be eligible to receive replacement doses when the product is used or expires.

“School nurses play a pivotal role in the health and wellbeing of students. Unexpected allergic reactions can happen at any time – including during the school day – so it is crucial to have epinephrine readily available to administer by nurses and other trained school officials. The neffyinSchools program will help schools to obtain epinephrine free of cost. This positions schools to be ready to provide emergency treatment for severe allergic reactions,” said Kenneth Mendez, president and CEO of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, in a statement.

Life-threatening, Type 1 allergic reactions can happen quickly and be caused by foods, insects, medication, exercise, or other unknown causes. It is estimated that one-quarter of anaphylactic reactions in schools are among students with previously undiagnosed allergies.

"We are deeply committed to ensuring neffy is freely available to all eligible K-12 schools, providing life-saving epinephrine for emergency situations without fear or hesitation,” said Richard Lowenthal, co-founder, president, and CEO of ARS Pharma, in a statement. “neffy is a groundbreaking device with a simple, needle-free design that we believe will make schools safer and better prepared to address anaphylaxis. While anaphylaxis can progress rapidly and occur at any time, many states must update their legislation to include nasal delivery in local epinephrine stocking and indemnification laws, for undesignated use, before it can be provided to schools."

For more information, visit www.neffy.com/community-programs.