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Health Canada has approved the use of Neffy, the first needle-free treatment meant to treat certain allergic reactions, like insect stings or bites, foods and medicinal products.
The pocket-sized nasal spray can be used to treat anaphylaxis in case of an emergency and has a 30-month shelf life, ALK-Abello Pharmaceuticals Inc. Canada (ALK Canada) said in a press release.
“With the nasal delivery device, I think this is going to help a lot (of) patients to feel comfortable,” Dennis Wong, an associate professor in the clinical immunology department at the University of Toronto, said. “I foresee, or I hope in the future, more patients will be willing … to use epinephrine in those situations.”
He added that it could be a “game changer for a lot of patients.”
Neffy is currently only sold in the U.S., Europe and the U.K.
Canadians can expect the product to hit pharmacy shelves this summer, according to ALK Canada.
Derek Chu, a chair in Allergy at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), said that “additional products are very welcome” as some people can be hesitant to use an injection.
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“If you ask many people that have used an EpiPen, they’ll actually say, ‘Oh, that was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be,’” he said, adding that additional medications could reduce barriers and help a lot of people.
Wong said that Neffy also has the potential to treat many food allergies.
“Before the approval of Neffy, the only thing that we have is the epinephrine autoinjector — or the EpiPen — which is a needle delivery device. But now with Neffy, it could be potentially used for food allergy as well,” he said.
“So, it’s not specifically to treat the underlying food allergy or the insect sting biology. Or the drug allergy is basically treating the anaphylactic reaction as a result of those allergen triggers.”
According to Food Allergy Canada, more than three million Canadians self-report having at least one food allergy, with more than 600,000 Canadian children under 18 years old having a food allergy.
ALK Canada also estimates that 2.5 million Canadians suffer from severe allergies.
“There are other allergies that can cause serious allergic reactions, and having one of these medications available is going to be crucial. So, that it will have to be priced appropriately and insured appropriately so that it can be equitable and usable by those that need it,” said Chu.
Wong also added that the product is a good option for kids who require the medication since “it’s easier to show and easier to carry.”
“There are kids who have to carry the EpiPen pouch and sometimes other kids point out, ‘Hey, what’s that?’ and it might not be a very comfortable thing for the kid to necessarily carry around with such a large pouch and a large device,” he said. “The Neffy is really compact and that can really help with those situations.”
Wong is also looking forward to seeing similar products being introduced to the Canadian market in the future.
“In the past, there were other injectors, but those are even not in the market anymore, so we (are) only left with one option. So now having a second option that is needle-free is making a huge difference,” he said.
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