To reverse the opioid crisis that continues to grip the nation, the National Institutes of Health has awarded $945 million in total fiscal year 2019 funding for grants, contracts and cooperative agreements <https://heal.nih.gov/funding/
In 2016, an estimated 50 million U.S. adults suffered from chronic pain <https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volu
“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 is leveraging expertise from almost every NIH institute and center to approach the crisis from all angles and disciplines, and across the full spectrum of research from basic to implementation science in the areas of:
–Translation of research to practice for the treatment of opioid addiction
–New strategies to prevent and treat opioid addiction
–Enhanced outcomes for infants and children exposed to opioids
–Novel medication options for opioid use disorder and overdose
–Clinical research in pain management
–Preclinical and translational research in pain management
“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., who launched <https://www.nih.gov/news-even
The initiative will address multiple problems that are slowing or preventing progress on addressing the crisis, including:
Problem: Many people with OUD do not receive appropriate treatment for their disorder.
Scientific solution: The HEALing Communities Study <https://www.nih.gov/news-even
Problem: Many patients who receive medications for OUD do not stay on treatment long enough to achieve long-term recovery.
Scientific solution: NIH HEAL Initiative awards target novel, longer-lasting and innovative treatments for OUD <https://heal.nih.gov/research
Problem: There are different types of pain and people experience pain differently, but it is not known which treatments will work best for which patients.
Scientific solution: NIH HEAL Initiative research will advance our understanding of pain by identifying biomarkers, endpoints and signatures of pain conditions <https://heal.nih.gov/research
Problem: Clinicians need to ensure that their patients’ pain is under control while also balancing the risks of long-term opioid therapy.
Scientific solution: The initiative will develop non-addictive medications for pain and test new models of care in real world settings <https://heal.nih.gov/research
Problem: There is no national standard for care of infants born exposed to opioids.
Scientific solution: Research through the NIH HEAL Initiative will inform treatment guidelines for clinical care of infants who are exposed to opioids in the womb <https://heal.nih.gov/research
“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, 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.”
Learn more about the NIH HEAL Initiative programs and awards <https://heal.nih.gov/>, and the opioid crisis <https://www.nih.gov/news-even
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit <www.nih.gov>.