*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).
Netflix stock is surging after the company reported first-quarter earnings, disclosing that the company added 7.4 million subscribers in the first three months of this year. Netflix now has 125 million subscribers globally. This year, Netflix plans to spend $8 billion on developing original content.
Goldman Sachs reported earnings on Tuesday, soaring past Wall Street estimates. The firm said its quarterly revenue hit $10 billion, an increase of 27%. Goldman's successful first quarter is due in large part to the recent surge in trading and market volatility.
Plus, we talk artificial intelligence with Sam Mantle, managing director of digital enterprise at Luxoft. The company recently announced a partnership with Softbank Robotics America to improve technology in "Pepper" the robot. Mantle digs into how Pepper can be used across industries from travel, to retail, to hospitality, noting that developers are just starting to learn how expansive and beneficial artificial intelligence can be.
The fallout from Facebook's latest data scandal continues to intensify. The Weinstein Co. officially files for bankruptcy protection after many attempts to sell the company failed. Josh Sternberg, tech editor for AdWeek, joins us to discusses how Uber moves forward after one of its driverless cars killed a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona. And Bri Bauer from Dairy Queen brings ice cream cones to the trading floor to celebrate the company's National Cone Day. On the first day of spring, Dairy Queen gives customers free vanilla ice cream cones.
One of Nike's top executives is stepping down over misconduct allegations. Airbnb is making it easier for people with disabilities to find rentals on its platform. We dive into the Theranos fraud scandal with the Wall Street Journal reporter who initially reported that something was off with the start-up blood testing company. And Tim Stenovec chats with Neil Patrick Harris about season two of his Netflix show "A Series of Unfortunate Events."
For now, the disgraced founder and CEO of Theranos says she plans to stay on in that role at the company. But a criminal investigation is still ongoing, and indictments could follow, says John Carreyrou, the investigative reporter at The Wall Street Journal who saw through the hype early.
A lot of the media hyped up the technology of Theranos. But when they asked probing questions, they were given "convoluted or confusing" statements.
In celebration of "Pi Day", Curiosity.com editor and podcast host Ashley Hamer looked at the history of the geometric ratio. She told Cheddar that back in 1897, one amateur mathematician almost convinced the Indiana state legislature to pass a law saying 𝜋 is actually equal to 3.2!
"Weed the People" seeks to raise awareness of the impact cannabis has on cancer patients and to depict how the chemicals in the plant can be life-saving.
Sara Chodosh, assistant editor at Popular Science, discusses how Daylight Saving Time affects your health. We talk about the rise in fatal car accidents due to sleep deprivation, as well as the negative effects to your health like an increased rate of heart attacks.
Sangita Patel, CEO at LeVar Burton Kids, says that as an Indian child she didn't see herself represented on TV, and she wants to change that for the upcoming generation.
A new study finds fakes news travels 6 times faster on Twitter than real news. The head of Goldman Sachs responds to reports he is leaving his post. Florida Governor Rick Scott signs a gun safety bill. The bull market celebrates its 9th birthday. The Nasdaq hits a record high.
