opioids
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In-brain electrodes are the latest weapon against opioid addiction
Researchers at the West Virginia University Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI) and West Virginia University Medicine are conducting the first clinical trial in the US that uses deep brain stimulation to treat opioid addiction. The procedure is meant for those who have exhausted all other forms of treatment but still suffer from opioid use disorder. The first patient, a 33-year-old man, has a decade-long history of opioid and benzo abuse, overdoses and relapses.
Google puts drug addiction recovery info front and center
The opioid epidemic is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths per year. Google hopes to make it easier for the 23 million Americans in recovery to find a support group or find a pharmacy where they can purchase naloxone, the opioid-overdose reversal drug. The tech giant announced today that in honor of National Recovery Month it will be launching two new tools that will help connect recovering opioid addicts with resources.
Google Maps can now guide you to drug disposal locations
Drug disposal programs have been cited as an effective tool in the fight against opioid abuse by medical studies and the White House. Now Google is lending a hand by pinpointing 3,500 of these drop-off sites on Google Maps and via Search in partnership with the DEA, HHS, CVS, Walgreens and state governments. Search terms like "drug drop off near me" or "medication disposal near me" will display the permanent disposal locations at pharmacies, hospitals or government buildings.
Alphabet's Verily is opening an opioid addiction center in Ohio
Alphabet's health data company Verily is mainly known for its devices, but now it's tackling one of the larger problems in the US through facilities. The company is teaming up with Kettering Health Network, Premier Health and Alexandria Real Estate Equities to establish OneFifteen, a "tech-enabled" campus in Dayton, Ohio that will help address opioid addictions. It'll include clinical services, housing for recovering patients and mixed-purpose buildings to help both patients and the local community, with Verily's technical know-how helping to "continually evolve" treatment.
Smartphone app could help doctors detect opioid overdoses
A new mobile app could alert doctors to people who have overdosed on opioids by tapping into a smartphone's speaker and microphone. The "Second Chance" app, developed by a team of researchers from the University of Washington, turns your phone into a sonar device for measuring breathing. Though still in the trial stages, its creators say it detected early signs of overdose in the minutes after people injected heroin.
Instagram offers help to people struggling with drug abuse
Instagram is expanding its proactive help to people grappling with drug addiction. The social network will pop up an offer of support when users search for certain drug-related hashtags, including references to opioids and other frequently abused substances. The message won't prevent people from finding material if they insist on it, but it will give them a moment of pause and could help them find treatment referrals as well as prevention and recovery information.
Facebook redirects would-be opioid buyers to crisis helpline
Anyone trying to buy opioids or seeking addiction treatment through Facebook should now instead see information for a federal crisis helpline. Facebook has worked with a policy team on the measure over the last few months, according to Stat. Next week, the Food and Drug Administration is holding a summit on opioids; it's invited Facebook, Twitter, Google and other tech companies to discuss how they're stemming drug use.
Google uses its search skills to help fight opioid addiction
Google is using its influence as a search giant to fight opioid addiction in the US. The company has partnered with the Drug Enforcement Administration on a prescription drug take back tool that uses Google Maps helps you find return locations using Google Maps. You only have to fill in your address or ZIP code to get a slew of clearly identified recycling centers and similar drop facilities. It's meant or National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on April 28th, but Google is partnering with the DEA and state governments on integrating more permanent options into Maps.
FDA wants Facebook and Twitter to crack down on opioid sales
In a speech given yesterday at the National Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb announced that the agency would be inviting a number of internet company CEOs to a summit that will host discussions on potential solutions to the tech industry's role in the US opioid crisis. Gottlieb says that the FDA has found offers to purchase opioids and other drugs on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Google, Yahoo and Bing. He added that in a report from the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, investigators found that "'it was easy to find fentanyl advertised online,' pay for it using cryptocurrency or credit cards and have it shipped to anywhere in the United States through international mail."
FDA approves an electrical device to help ease opioid withdrawal
Amid an epidemic of opioid addiction, doctors are looking for ways to help people wean themselves off of the drugs, but withdrawal symptoms are a major hurdle. Innovative Health Solutions says its NSS-2 Bridge is a "percutaneous nerve field stimulator (PNFS) device system" that sends electrical pulses to certain cranial nerves, treating symptoms including sweating, tremors, stomach upset, joint pain and anxiety. Yesterday the FDA cleared it for marketing, making this the first device approved for use in this way. Like the DEKA Arm System, this device was reviewed through the agency's de novo pathway that fast-tracks "some low- to moderate-risk devices." Prior to approval, the FDA reviewed a clinical study of 73 patients where all of them showed at least a 31 percent drop in their clinical opiate withdrawal scale (COWS) score within 30 minutes of use.
Snail venom provides a new way to treat chronic pain
The Conus regius' venom is bad news for its prey, and it's been proven harmful to humans as well. For instance, a 2009 clinical case describes a diver who had trouble moving his arm for 12 hours after an attack. However, scientists from the University of Utah see hope in the ocean dweller's powerful venom. In fact, research suggests it could be used to develop a new treatment for chronic pain.
New York prescriptions go digital to combat opioid abuse
On March 27th, New York State residents will no longer need to decipher their doctor's terrible handwriting, thanks to a switch from paper to electronic prescriptions. The new phase is part of a 2012 law called I-Stop aimed at slowing the massive prescription medication addition problem. According to the state officials, the number of deaths related to Oxycodone, Hydrocodone and other opioid meds nearly quadrupled to 1,227 between 2004 and 2013.
