May 15 (Reuters) - U.S. pharmacy chain operator

Walgreens Boots Alliance ( WBA ) said on Wednesday it has

launched its own brand of popular overdose reversal drug,

naloxone, which would be available over-the-counter (OTC).

The launch comes weeks after Walgreens' brand was approved

by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in April.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Opioid abuse has plagued the United States for more than two

decades and killed more than half a million Americans, with

fentanyl and synthetic versions being a major culprit in recent

years, according to government data.

Naloxone rapidly reverses or blocks the effects of opioids,

restoring normal respiration, especially when given within

minutes of the first signs of an overdose.

It is seen as a key tool to help in surviving an opioid

overdose.

CONTEXT

The U.S. FDA approved an OTC version of Emergent

Biosolutions' ( EBS ) Narcan last year, aimed at making it

easier to access without a prescription.

The health regulator had approved the first generic version

of the medication in 2021, sold by Israeli drugmaker Teva

Pharmaceuticals.

Other drugmakers also sell various versions of the product,

and privately held Harm Reduction Therapeutics' naloxone-based

nasal spray, RiVive, is also approved for prescription-free

sale.

BY THE NUMBERS

Walgreens said its naloxone-based drug, sold as Naloxone HCl

Nasal Spray, is currently available online and will be available

in all of its stores by the end of the month.

Walgreens' spray would be sold at a retail price of $34.99

per pack, with each pack containing two single doses of 4

milligrams each.

The OTC version of Emergent BioSolutions' ( EBS ) Narcan is sold at

around $50 per carton.