NIH awards $945 million in research funds to battle opioid epidemic

Link: https://www.medicaleconomics.com/news/nih-awards-945-million-research-funds-battle-opioid-epidemic

Excerpt:

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced the award of $945 million in 2019 funding to battle the opioid epidemic through the Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative, or NIH HEAL Initiative.

The research funds, split between 375 awards to 41 states, aim to improve the treatment of chronic pain, curb the rate of opioid use disorder (OUD) and overdose, as well as helping patients achieve long-term recovery from addiction, according to a news release from NIH.

The release says an estimated 50 million U.S. adults suffered from chronic pain in 2016, while two years later an estimated 10.3 million people aged 12 or older misused opioids in the United States.

“President Trump’s approach to the opioid crisis and HHS’s strategy have both been based in the best science we have,” HHS Secretary Alex Azar says in the release. “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.”