This article is sponsored by ARS Pharmaceuticals.
Millions of people have severe allergic reactions to certain foods, insect stings and medicines. Within minutes after exposure to an allergen, people can experience a multitude of symptoms, such as hives, red or itchy skin, nausea or vomiting, trouble breathing and weak pulse among others, with the most serious being anaphylaxis.1,2 Symptoms of anaphylaxis generally intensify quickly, requiring immediate medical intervention with epinephrine.
Zacky Muñoz and his mom Priscilla, from Pasadena, know all too well the importance of epinephrine. Zacky, who is allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, avocados, seeds and sesame, had his first anaphylactic reaction at 6 years old. Using a needle to administer medication is scary, even for parents, and can lead to delays in treatment. Studies suggest that more than 50% of parents are afraid to administer their child’s epinephrine via injection.3
“While we know that epinephrine is a lifesaver when Zacky has a severe allergic reaction, there is anxiety for both of us to use the auto-injector,” said Priscilla Hernandez. “Until recently, needle-based auto-injectors were the only option for severe allergic reactions, so I’ve had no choice but to inject my child, but I was afraid of incorrectly injecting Zacky or potentially injecting myself by mistake.”
A Needle-Free Innovation
Now there is another option for people with severe allergic reactions who may not want to use needles as part of their treatment. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved neffy® (epinephrine nasal spray), the first and only needle-free treatment for people living with Type 1 severe allergic reactions. neffy is approved for use in adults and children who weigh more than 66 pounds.4
neffy uses the same epinephrine as other treatments but is designed to be absorbed in the nasal passage to treat the reaction. Even better, it’s only slightly over two inches and fits easily in a pocket, purse or backpack so people can take it wherever they go. A free carrying case is available at neffy.com.
Moreover, there is no risk of needle-related adverse events when using neffy, such as accidental injection into the hand or fingers of a child or caregiver. This occurs approximately 3,500 times each year in the U.S. with epinephrine injection devices.5 Please see Important Safety Information for neffy below.
“I am so pleased that patients have a needle-free epinephrine option for the treatment of severe allergic reactions,” said Eleanor Garrow-Holding, President & Chief Executive Officer of the non-profit organization Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team (FAACT). “neffy offers several attributes that I believe make it an appealing treatment option. It is designed to be easy to use and may help patients or their caregivers treat at the first sign of symptoms of severe allergic reactions rather than delaying because they are unsure of using the needle. Also, neffy has a long shelf life of 30 months and remains stable up to 122 degrees F. With all of these attributes as well as a suite of access and affordability programs, I believe this will be a great option for patients and their families.” 4,6
“It’s been tough navigating food allergies, but it’s opened doors for us to help others advocate for more awareness, research and treatments. Zacky creates videos about living with food allergies to connect with others to know they are not alone,” comments Priscilla. To watch Zacky’s videos, visit https://www.zackysuniverse.com, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/zackys_universe or TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@zackys_universe
For more information about neffy, speak with a healthcare provider or visit www.neffy.com. More information can also be found on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neffyrx/ and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neffyrx
WHAT IS neffy?
neffy 2 mg is a nasal spray used to treat life-threatening, allergic emergencies including anaphylaxis, in adults and children who weigh 66 lbs or more (30 kg or more), who are at risk for or have a history of serious allergic emergencies.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
What is the most important information that I should know about neffy?
neffy contains epinephrine, a medicine used to treat allergic emergencies (anaphylaxis). Anaphylaxis can be life-threatening, can happen in minutes and can be caused by stinging and biting insects, allergy injections, foods, medicines, exercise or other unknown causes.
Always carry two neffy nasal sprays with you because you may not know when anaphylaxis may happen and because you may need a second dose of neffy if symptoms continue or come back. neffy is for use in the nose only.
Use neffy right away, as soon as you notice symptoms of an allergic reaction. If symptoms continue or get worse after the first dose of neffy, a second dose is needed. If needed, administer a second dose using a new neffy in the same nostril starting 5 minutes after the first dose. Get emergency medical help for further treatment of the allergic emergency (anaphylaxis), if needed after using neffy.
Tell your healthcare provider if you have underlying structural or anatomical nasal conditions, all the medicines you take, and about all your medical conditions, especially if you have heart problems, kidney problems, low potassium in your blood, Parkinson’s disease, thyroid problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, or plan to breastfeed.
Tell your healthcare provider if you take or use other nasal sprays or water pills (diuretics) or if you take medicines to treat depression, abnormal heart beats, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, thyroid disease, medicines used in labor, and medicines to treat allergies. neffy and other medications may affect each other, causing side effects. neffy may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how neffy works.
What are the side effects of neffy?
neffy may cause serious side effects. If you have certain medical conditions or take certain medicines, your condition may get worse, or you may have more or longer lasting side effects when you use neffy.
Side effects of neffy may include throat irritation, tingling nose, headache, nasal discomfort, feeling over excitement, nervousness or anxiety, tingling sensation, fatigue, shakiness, runny nose, itchy nose, sneezing, stomach pain, pain in gums of teeth, numbness in the mouth, nasal congestion, dizziness, nausea and vomiting.
Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or that do not go away after using neffy.
These are not all of the possible side effects of neffy. Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. To report side effects, contact ARS Pharmaceuticals Operations, Inc. at 1-877-MY-NEFFY (877-696-3339) or the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.
Please see the full Prescribing Information and Patient Information for neffy.
References:
- What is anaphylaxis? ARS Pharmaceuticals. Available at www.neffy.com/resources/#about-anaphylaxis. Accessed September 23, 2024.
- What are symptoms of a serious allergic relations? ARS Pharmaceuticals. Available at www.neffy.com/resources/#about-anaphylaxis. Accessed September 23, 2024.
- Chad L, Ben-Shoshan M, Asai Y, et al. A majority of parents of children with peanut allergy fear using the epinephrine auto-injector. Allergy. 2013;68(12):1605-1609. https://doi.org/10.1111/all.12262.
- neffy Epinephrine Nasal Spray Full Prescribing Information. ARS Pharma. 08-2024.
- Anshien M, Rose SR, Wills BK. Unintentional Epinephrine Auto-injector Injuries: A National Poison Center Observational Study. Am J Ther. 2019 Jan/Feb;26(1):e110-e114. doi: 10.1097/MJT.0000000000000541. PMID: 27984266.
- ARS Pharma. Data on File.
