HOW DOES NALOXONE REVERSE AN OPIOID OVERDOSE?

Read the original story published by The Seattle Times on March 31, 2023. Naloxone, known by the brand name Narcan, can be used to reverse opioid overdoses, such as with fentanyl or heroin. Following the FDA’s approval of Narcan for over-the-counter use, I worked with reporters to quickly develop this diagram of the drug’s interaction with opioid receptors in the brain.

See a related story on how to administer Narcan and possibly save a life.

Process

I rendered the final art in Adobe Illustrator, leaning on my previous experience as Illustration Editor of Annual Reviews’ Journal of Cell and Developmental Biology.