- Local first responders and healthcare agencies are exploring Opvee (nalmefene) as a longer-lasting opioid antidote, in addition to Narcan (naloxone), as illicit drugs become more potent with fentanyl and carfentanil.
- The Douglas County Sheriff's Office seized 150,000 pills of carfentanil, which can be disguised as legal medications, highlighting the urgent need for effective overdose treatments.
- While Opvee has been available for decades, it received FDA approval as a nasal spray in March 2023; however, it is not recommended for use in children under 12.
Local first responders and healthcare agencies are seeking a new opioid antidote as street drugs test increasingly higher for fentanyl and carfentanil. For years, Narcan, which reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, has been the primary treatment. However, officials are now considering a second option: Opvee, which can remain in the body up to six times longer.
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Last month, Douglas County and an Opvee manufacturer held a presentation for local law enforcement agencies, stating, "This is yet another tool in the fight against opioid overdoses and the ever-increasing potency of these illicit drugs."
To understand the differences between Opvee (nalmefene) and Narcan (naloxone), KMTV reporter Hannah McIlree met with Kenneth Zoucha, Director of Addiction Medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
"The only difference is the half-life," Zoucha said. "Whereas naloxone lasts for 60 to 90 minutes, nalmefene lasts for 10 to 12 hours, so it's in your system for a long time and reverses the overdose for an extended period."
This spring, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Service, seized 150,000 pills of carfentanil, a substance even more lethal than fentanyl. Sheriff Aaron Hanson noted that these pills were disguised to look like over-the-counter oxycodone.
"We may be talking about a young person who thinks they're taking a legal prescription medication," Hanson said.
Following the seizure, the Omaha Police Department warned about the dangers of carfentanil, describing it as "10,000 times stronger than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl."
Although Opvee has been available for decades, it was not approved in the form of a nasal spray by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration until March 2023. Zoucha cautioned that while it can counteract overdoses for longer, some drawbacks exist regarding treatment.
"One of the things I would say is that nalmefene is not approved for kids under 12 years of age, and opioid overdoses or poisonings in children are significant," he said.
Will deputies, police officers, or other first responders begin to carry this new treatment? KMTV contacted the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, the Omaha Police and Fire Department, and is awaiting their response.
