Translational & Therapeutics Development | HEAL

Advancing non-addictive treatments for pain, substance use disorder, and overdose toward FDA approval

There is an urgent need to develop safe and effective interventions, including medications, digital therapeutics, device-based treatments, and behavioral interventions, to prevent and treat substance use disorders (SUDs) and overdose. This program seeks to support preclinical and clinical research that will have high impact and quickly advance candidate interventions closer to FDA approval and implementation in clinical and community care. Areas of particular interest include preventing the onset and progression of SUDs, improving treatment adherence, treating withdrawal and overdose, and addressing co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders across high-risk populations. The program takes a broad, multi-modal approach and spans across all stages of development.

Email: HEALquestion@od.nih.gov

The National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN), established in 1999, bridges the gap between research and practice to improve treatment of substance use disorders through rigorous multisite clinical trials across diverse settings and populations. In 2019, the NIH HEAL Initiative expanded the CTN by funding five additional network nodes—in Appalachia, the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic, the Greater Intermountain region, Greater Southern California, and the Southwest—strengthening the network's reach into communities hit hard by the opioid crisis. NIH HEAL funding also supports specific clinical trials within the network that evaluate new therapies, assess integrated healthcare models, and advance the implementation of evidence-based best practices. Learn more with the resources below:

Email: Jeremiah Bertz, Ph.D., jeremiah.bertz@nih.gov ; Hoa Vo, Ph.D., hoa.vo@nih.gov