Overview

Expanded treatment options for opioid use disorder are needed to promote long-term recovery. The Helping to End Addiction Long-term® Initiative, or NIH HEAL Initiative®, is accelerating the development of treatments for all aspects of the opioid addiction cycle, including progression to chronic use, withdrawal symptoms, craving, relapse, and overdose.

Open Funding Opportunities

2022
Grand Opportunity in Medications Development for Substance-Use Disorders (U01 Clinical Trial Optional)
Sep 01, 2022
2022
Development of Medications to Prevent and Treat Opioid and/or Stimulant Use Disorders and Overdose (UG3/UH3 - Clinical Trial Optional)
Sep 01, 2022
2022
Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): HEAL Initiative: Grand Opportunity in Medications Development for Substance-Use Disorders
Sep 29, 2022
2022
Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): HEAL Initiative: Development of Medications to Prevent and Treat Opioid and/or Stimulant Use Disorders and Overdose
Sep 28, 2022
2022
Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Developing Digital Therapeutics for Substance Use Disorders
Feb 18, 2022

Research Programs

The Focusing Medication Development to Prevent and Treat Opioid Use Disorder and Overdose program supports the development of new targets and formulations of existing medications to treat opioid use disorder and stimulant use disorders. This research also supports development of longer-duration formulations to counteract opioid overdose, interventions for respiratory depression, and novel medications to treat progression to chronic use, withdrawal, craving, and relapse.

The Development of Novel Immunotherapeutics for Opioid Addiction program is developing a coordinated, multidisciplinary consortium to develop anti-opioid vaccines and test them in clinical trials. These vaccines induce antibodies that bind specifically to target opioids, reducing their effects and offering protection from overdose.

Long-term use of oral formulations of buprenorphine has been reported to cause oral problems ranging from dental caries to tooth loss. The Oral Complications Arising From Pharmacotherapies to Treat Opioid Use Disorder program supports basic research to understand how these problems arise. Clinical studies will also test how often and how quickly buprenorphine causes or worsens oral problems, as well as determine which other factors affect oral health in people taking buprenorphine.

The opioid crisis is constantly evolving: New and increasingly dangerous drugs are entering the supply. The Rapidly Assessing the Public Health Impact of Emerging Opioid Threats program supports research to develop and distribute validated analytical methods to detect emerging drug threats in clinical and forensic settings. These tools can be used to isolate drug use patterns so first responders can offer help.

Funded Projects

2022
Phase 1 and 2 Studies of Sublingual Dexmedetomidine, an Alpha 2 Adrenergic Agonist, for Treating Opioid Withdrawal
Oct 01, 2022
2022
The Development of Delta Opioid Receptor Agonists for the Treatment of Opioid Withdrawal Associated Behaviors
Sep 30, 2022
2022
Development of PPL-138, a Novel Mixed NOP/Mu Partial Agonist for Treatment of Cocaine Use Disorder
Sep 19, 2022
2022
Naltrexone Transdermal Patch - An Accessible, Patient-Focused Option to Treat OUD Relapse
Sep 19, 2022
2022
Transdermal Rotigotine as Adjunct to Behavioral Therapy for Cocaine Use Disorder
Sep 19, 2022

Closed Funding Opportunities

2021
HEAL initiative: Pharmacotherapies to Reverse Opioid Overdose Induced Respiratory Depression Without Central Opioid Withdrawal (Target Validation and Candidate Therapeutic Development) (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)
Sep 30, 2021
2021
HEAL Initiative: Novel Targets for Opioid Use Disorders and Opioid Overdose (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Jul 06, 2021
2021
HEAL Initiative: Novel Targets for Opioid Use Disorders and Opioid Overdose (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Jul 06, 2021
2020
HEAL Initiative: Pharmacotherapies to Reverse Opioid Overdose Induced Respiratory Depression without Central Opioid Withdrawal (Target Validation and Candidate Therapeutic Development (R61/R33 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Jan 24, 2020
2019
Grand Opportunity in Medications Development for Substance-Use Disorders (U01 Clinical Trial Optional)
Sep 25, 2019