About Us
The Allen Research Endowment, Inc. seeks to save lives through a venture philanthropy approach to fund scientific breakthroughs for the treatment and prevention of opioid-related addiction.
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Our research and development for non-opioid, non-addictive pain management drugs seeks to identify and fund organizations and scientists that are working on new or compelling addiction science discoveries to non-opioid pain treatment.
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An illustration of our successes, in the first quarter of 2023, we provided a comment letter to the U.S. FDA’s Office of Regulatory Policy for Naloxone Federal Register Notice 2022-N-2673. In summary, we urged the FDA to approve naloxone for over-the-counter sales to reduce opioid-related deaths in the United States.
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In March 2023, we are pleased to report that the FDA approved naloxone hydrocholoride nasal spray for over-the-counter sales (“OTC”) beginning in August 2023 – the first naloxone product approved for use without a prescription. Naloxone (under the brand Narcan) can reverse the effects of an opioid-related overdose, which includes heroin and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl .
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Now, OTC Narcan nasal spray can be easily purchased by employers, families, and friends to save the lives of persons that overdose, while waiting for professional help to arrive.
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Further, upon the FDA’s approval of OTC Narcan nasal spray, we sent written recommendations to state and federal health agencies including the State of Connecticut, the State of New York, and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services to immediately begin training healthcare employees at local municipalities and first responders about how to apply Narcan nasal spray to save the lives of persons that have overdosed on opioid-related substances including heroin and fentanyl.
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We believe OTC Narcan nasal spray will be a game changer and reduce opioid-related overdose deaths.
Our Story
Established in 2016 by the Allen family in Greenwich, CT in honor of their 19-year-old son,
J. Bradley Allen, the Allen Research Endowment is a Delaware non-profit corporation recognized as tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code.
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Bradley was an investment banking intern, set a record in rowing with the Greenwich Crew, and a caring young leader seeking to make the world a better place.
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Bradley’s charity and presence touched several organizations, some of whom created
J. Bradley Allen Leadership Awards such as the Oxford Academy in Westbrook, CT, the Bowery Mission in New York City, and Orvis Sandanona in Millbrook, NY.
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Bradley died of a prescription opioid related overdose, the result of a car accident. Based on our family’s experience, we came to believe that many approaches to opioid addiction were ineffective, expensive, and prolonged the addiction.
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We set out to create new approaches to opioid addiction treatment and prevention based on research and development of non-opioid, non-addictive pain management solutions.
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We are pleased to report that our progress to date includes:
(a) Some of the scientists and organizations we helped fund have grown, and today, are publicly traded companies;
(b) Providing information to the U.S. Department of Justice about the mislabeling of Suboxone by Reckitt Benckiser, which resulted in a $1.4 billion settlement;
(c) Providing comment letters to the FDA, including our recommendation to make available an over-the -counter version of Nalaxone not requiring a prescription, which the FDA approved in March 2023.
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We believe Bradley would be pleased, but would say – there is more to do.
