How does Narcan work? Mapping how it reverses opioid overdose can provide a molecular blueprint for more effective drugs

By: Saif Khan, University of Southern California, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: November 26, 2025

Words: 1,170

Last Updated: 1 month, 2 weeks ago

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By Saif Khan, University of Southern California

Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, is one of the most important drugs in the United States’ fight against the opioid crisis. It reverses an opioid overdose nearly instantly, restarting breathing in a person who was unresponsive moments before and on the brink of death. To bystanders witnessing it being administered, naloxone can appear almost supernatural.

Although the Food and Drug Administration approved naloxone for …

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