*By Christian Smith*
After an overdose earlier this week, Demi Lovato's life was reportedly saved by Narcan, a nasal administrator of naloxone that counteracts the effects of opioids. When administered quicklyーthrough either nasal mist or injectionーnaloxone can temporarily halt an overdose, allowing EMTs enough time to respond. The medication is available without a prescription in 49 states, and the generic version costs about $20 per dose.
But all merits aside, is the drug's accessibility enabling addicts to push their limits?
Dr. Roger Crystal, the lead inventor of Narcan and CEO of Opiant Pharmaceuticals, says there's little evidence to support that concern.
"Addiction like any kind of chronic disease is something you can control using better medication, but ultimately you can't cure," Crystal told Cheddar. "To think about an opioid addict behaving rationally and saying, 'well because I have access to Narcan I'll shoot more heroin, inject more heroin' there's no proof for that whatsoever."
Naloxone is considered some of the best ammunition on the front lines of America's growing opioid epidemic. A reported 2 million Americans have an addition to opioidsーand the number isn't going down. U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams [issued an advisory](https://www.surgeongeneral.gov/priorities/opioid-overdose-prevention/naloxone-advisory.html) in April urging anyoneーand their close family and friendsーwho uses painkillers, heroin, fentanyl, or other opioids to carry naloxone in case of an emergency.
Crystal isn't stopping at Narcan: he told Cheddar he's also developing a heroin vaccine, suggesting the inventor has lofty ambitions for the future of overdose prevention.
Although Crystal may be aware of lingering ethical concerns, he doesn't think they dwarf his mission. After all, Lovato has him to thank.
"Putting it in the hands of everyone and anyone is critical," Crystal said.
For more on this story, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/how-one-pharmaceutical-company-is-fighting-the-opioid-epidemic).
Thrive+ binds to the same brain receptors as alcohol to combat the negative effects of drinking, says CEO Brooks Powell, who started developing the pills during his sophomore year at Princeton.
The Republican reiterated his cautious approach to legalization, despite momentum for more liberalization in a state with some of the most tolerant cannabis laws in the country.
A data breach on MyHeritage impacted more than 90 million users. David Nicholson, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Living DNA breaks down what precautions companies take in order to protect your information.
DNA testing service MyHeritage reported a data breach that gave hackers access to email addresses and passwords of over 92 million users. While genetic information wasn't exposed, Rob Verger, Assistant Tech Editor at Popular Science, says the incident serves as a reminder that "almost anything is hackable."
The dental start-up, which sells custom teeth aligners online, opened its first brick-and-mortar store to reach more consumers, says co-founder and CEO Nick Greenfield.
The company, which makes a FitBit-style fertility sensor, announced it will use the fresh capital to fill gaps in the market. "Women's health and women's health research has been underfunded for the last decade," says co-founder Lea von Bidder.
More than 9 million tons of unrecycled plastic waste ends up in the ocean every year, according to Jenna Jambeck, an associate professor at the University of Georgia and a National Georgraphic explorer. In its June issue, the magazine is trying to shine a light on the serious problem with a "Planet or Plastic?" initiative.
Stocks kick off the week with a rally after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the prospect of a trade war was "on hold" following an agreement to suspend tariff threats. Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveils details of the souped-up Model 3. President Trump is going after the FBI. Fortnite is launching on Android phones this summer.
Mike Massimino, the former astronaut who became the first man to tweet from space during one of his two space flights, says companies like SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, and Blue Origin are "the best hope we have for a thriving space program."
The Falcon 9 'Block 5', which theoretically can be reused 100 times without much maintenance, took off Friday afternoon from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket carried a communications satellite into orbit for Bangladesh and then successfully landed back on a platform in the Atlantic.
