NIH Funds $945 Million Research that Will Tackle National Opioid Crisis

January 03, 2020 – – In an effort to reverse the opioid crisis that continues to grip the nation, the National institutes of health or NIH has awarded $945 million in total funding for grants, contacts, and cooperative agreements across 41 states.

The NIH HEAL Initiative, which stands for ‘Helping to End Addiction Long Term’, is a research effort that aims to improve treatments for chronic pain. NIH also hopes to lower the rates of opioid use disorder (OUD) and overdose while helping patients achieve long-term sobriety.

Approximately 375 awards in 41 states will accelerate scientific solutions to the opioid epidemic.

In 2016, an estimated 50 million adults in the US suffered from chronic pain. In 2018, an estimate 10.3 million people 12 years and older misused opioids, including heroin.

“President Trump’s approach to the opioid crisis and HHS’s strategy have both been based in the best science we have,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. “We have effective tools, such as medication-assisted treatment, but we still need better ways to treat opioid addiction and manage pain in an effective, personalized way. This historic investment by NIH was made possible by funding secured from Congress by President Trump, and will support our work in the current crisis and lay the work for a healthier future.”

The NIH HEAL Initiative will leverage expertise from almost every NIH institute and center. This is because the agency wants to approach the epidemic from all angles and disciplines. It will also include the full spectrum of research from basic to implementation science.

It will include studies concerning pain management, opioid effects on infants, addiction prevention, and novel medication options.

“It’s clear that a multi-pronged scientific approach is needed to reduce the risks of opioids, accelerate development of effective non-opioid therapies for pain and provide more flexible and effective options for treating addiction to opioids,” said NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D. “This unprecedented investment in the NIH HEAL Initiative demonstrates the commitment to reversing this devastating crisis.”

Collins launched the initiative in early 2018. The NIH HEAL Initiative will address multiple problems that are slowing or preventing progress in addressing the crisis. For example, many people with OUD do not receive appropriate treatment for their condition, and the NIH plans to integrate evidence-based interventions into community, justice, and emergency room settings.

NIH will also study interventions or combinations of interventions that work best with different communities in order to properly implement them.

The NIH HEAL Initiative awards target novel, longer-lasting and innovative treatments for OUD. This includes immunotherapies, extended-release formulations, and other advanced methods. The research will advance the understanding of pain by identifying biomarkers, endpoints, and signatures of pain conditions.

“We need to ensure that people with chronic pain have effective treatment options that don’t expose them to the risk of opioids,” said Rebecca G. Baker, Ph.D., director of the NIH HEAL Initiative. “Preventing opioid misuse and addiction through enhanced pain management and improving treatments for OUD and addiction are both critical parts of our trans-NIH response to the opioid crisis.”

If someone in the family is struggling with opioid or alcohol addiction, it is important to seek help. A combination of medical detox and behavioral therapy can go a long way in the fight against drug abuse. But because every individual is affected by addiction differently, a comprehensive program tailored to their specific needs is necessary. Look for a nearby addiction treatment facility today and find out how drug treatment programs work.

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