SAN DIEGO, Oct. 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Adamis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (Nasdaq: ADMP) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Adamis’ Zimhi™ (naloxone HCL Injection, USP) 5 mg/0.5 mL product. Zimhi is a high-dose naloxone injection product FDA-approved for use in the treatment of opioid overdose.

Naloxone is an opioid antagonist and is generally considered the drug of choice for immediate administration for opioid overdose. It works by blocking or reversing the effects of the opioid, including extreme drowsiness, slowed breathing, or loss of consciousness. Common opioids include morphine, heroin, tramadol, oxycodone, hydrocodone and fentanyl.

According to statistics published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drug overdoses resulted in approximately 96,779 deaths in the United States during the 12-month period ending March 2021, which was a 29% increase over the prior 12-month period. Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death for Americans under age 50, with more powerful synthetic opioids, like fentanyl and its analogues, responsible for the largest number of those deaths.

Dr. Jeffrey Galinkin, an anesthesiologist, and former member of the FDA Advisory Committee for Anesthetics, Analgesics and Addiction Products, commented, “I am pleased to see this much needed high dose naloxone product will become part of the treatment tool kit as a countermeasure to the continued surge in fentanyl related deaths. The higher intramuscular doses of naloxone in Zimhi should result in more rapid and higher levels of naloxone in the systemic circulation, which in turn, should result in more successful resuscitations.”

Dr. Dennis J. Carlo, President and CEO of Adamis, stated, “We are very excited by this approval and are working with our commercial partner, US WorldMeds, to make this much-needed, lifesaving product readily available to the market. Zimhi provides the highest systemic levels of naloxone compared to any of the nasal or intramuscular products currently available.”

P. Breckinridge Jones, Sr., CEO of US WorldMeds, added, “We are pleased with the approval and now look forward to commercially marketing Zimhi in the United States. US WorldMeds has a proven track-record of successfully commercializing pharmaceutical products and have a First-in-Class and only FDA-approved product, LUCEMYRA® (lofexidine), for the treatment of withdrawal symptoms associated with abrupt opioid discontinuation. We are confident we can leverage our existing commercial infrastructure and presence in the opioid dependence market to speed the uptake of Zimhi and combat the growing opioid crisis. We are preparing for the full commercial launch of ZIMHI which is planned for the first quarter of 2022.”

About Adamis Pharmaceuticals

Adamis Pharmaceuticals Corporation is a specialty biopharmaceutical company primarily focused on developing and commercializing products in various therapeutic areas, including allergy, opioid overdose, respiratory and inflammatory disease. The Company’s SYMJEPI (epinephrine) Injection products are approved by the FDA for use in the emergency treatment of acute allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. The Company’s Zimhi (naloxone) Injection product is approved for the treatment of opioid overdose. Tempol is in development for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 and a Phase 2/3 clinical trial is underway. For additional information about Adamis Pharmaceuticals, please visit www.adamispharmaceuticals.com.

About Zimhi™ (naloxone HCL Injection, USP) 5 mg/0.5 mL

Zimhi is a prescription medicine used in adults and children for the treatment of an opioid emergency, such as an overdose or a possible overdose with signs of breathing problems and severe sleepiness or not being able to respond. Zimhi is to be given right away by a caregiver and does not take the place of emergency medical care. Get emergency medical help right away after the first dose of Zimhi, even if the person wakes up.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Do not use Zimhi if you are allergic to naloxone hydrochloride or any of the ingredients in Zimhi. Zimhi is used to temporarily reverse the effects of opioid medicines. The medicine in Zimhi has no effect in people who are not taking opioid medicines.

Use Zimhi right away if you or your caregiver think signs or symptoms of an opioid emergency are present, even if you are not sure, because an opioid emergency can cause severe injury or death. Family members, caregivers, or other people who may have to use Zimhi in an opioid emergency should know where Zimhi is stored and how to give Zimhi before an opioid emergency happens. Get emergency medical help right away after using the first dose of ZIMHI. Rescue breathing or CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) may be given while waiting for emergency medical help.

The signs and symptoms of an opioid emergency can return within several minutes after Zimhi is given. If this happens, give additional injections using a new Zimhi prefilled syringe every 2 to 3 minutes and continue to closely watch the person until emergency help is received.

Zimhi may cause serious side effects, including sudden opioid withdrawal symptoms, which may include: body aches, fever, sweating, runny nose, sneezing, goose bumps, yawning, weakness, shivering or trembling, nervousness, restlessness or irritability, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, stomach cramping, increased blood pressure, or increased heart rate.

Other common side effects of Zimhi include dizziness and injection site redness. In infants under 4 weeks old who have been receiving opioids regularly, sudden opioid withdrawal may be life-threatening if not treated the right way. Signs and symptoms include: seizures, crying more than usual, and increased reflexes.

These are not all of the possible side effects of Zimhi. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Adamis Pharmaceuticals Corporation at 1-858-997-2400 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

Source: Adamis Pharmaceuticals Corporation

Posted: October 2021