 Researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine recently received a $12.3 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to test the use of tezampanel, a novel drug that could treat opioid withdrawal symptoms. The project is happening in partnership with Proniras Corporation, a Seattle, Washington-based biotechnology company. The first $2 million stage of the project, conducted over the next two years, will pursue laboratory characterization of tezampanel, while the second stage of the project, conducted over three years, will involve clinical trials.
Substance use disorders (SUD) affect about 8% of Americans, and one in three Americans have family members who suffer from these disorders. It is estimated that every year $442 billion goes to fighting SUDs, with employers bearing the brunt of those costs. Those with an SUD are often absent from work and have higher medical costs, and the business suffers from lost productivity. This calculator educates employers about the effect that untreated SUD has on their businesses, as well as offering resources for support of all parties involved in the treatment. The calculator also helps employers calculate the costs associated with failing to provide treatment to their employees.
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A recent article published by the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP) highlighted the need for access to timely and relevant data to keep up with the changing dynamic of drug misuse across the United States. Through sharing local examples of data integration to coordinate responses, COSSAP encourages local communities to think through and consider issues of data access, including timely data collection, comprehensive drug identification, and rapid dissemination of those data and findings, which are key to developing coordinated responses and interventions and to shaping drug policy.
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