U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
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
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, 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.