Innovations for Substance Use Disorders

Today, we successfully wrapped up Cohort 2 of I4SUD with our final pitches! Congratulations to Lauren Micalizzi and Ian Martin, who had the winning pitch among 21 pitches! Congratulations, and huge thanks to all the participants for pitching and participating in the program. What a fantastic session; it was amazing to see how far everyone has come since the beginning of the program! Huge thanks also to our judges Neil Davis, Ian Grant and Albine Martin, Ph.D., who had the difficult choice of picking one winner. Thank you also to Kelly E. Dunn, Ph.D., M.B.A. (at DrKellyDunn), Sean Tackett, Patrick Finan, Christopher ("Chris") Jeffers, Jo Ellen Slurzberg, Supriya Munshaw, Jessica Lukacs, MD, MBA, Leonardo M. Angelone, Sara Lioi, Stacie Gutowski, Ph.D., Dan Kostov, Boris Sabirzhanov, MORRIS FLOOD and Saravanan Karuppagounder, Ph.D. for serving as first-round judges. Until next year... #sudentrepreneurship #pitchcompetition

Opioid withdrawal seems straight-forward, but I'd like to argue that we have a lot left to learn. Earlier this year Eric Strain and I outlined a series of gaps in our knowledge about withdrawal that we hypothesize will eventually hamper innovation and drug development for persons with #OUD, I'll be discussing data that support this theory with the Yale Program in Addiction Medicine on Tuesday 10/8/24 (12-1, EST); and registration is free for anyone interested: https://lnkd.in/ej7uwydj You can access this Perspective at Lancet Psychiatry here: https://lnkd.in/e3gCh99r

Today was the last day of our four-day workshop. Participants learned how to pitch and practiced some of their pitches. They received feedback from their peers, NIDA personnel, and the instructors. We can't wait to remain engaged with them and view their final pitches on November 15! What an incredible group of innovators! #I4SUD2024 #justthebeginning #buildforwhatsnext

On Day 3, our innovators learned how to do market research, about venture capital, IP and FDA. The day ended in a networking event with a view! #I4SUD2024

On Day 2, our innovators visited some incredible substance use treatment facilities: Helping Up Mission, Ashley Addiction Treatment, Mountain Manor Treatment Ctr, Johns Hopkins Broadway Center for Addiction, and Reach Health Services. We are very grateful to our hosts at these centers for hosting us and providing valuable insights into product development to address several challenges in the substance use disorder field. #talktocustomers #connectwithpatients #unmetneeds

Today, we marked the beginning of the in-person gathering of #I4SUD2024! Thirty exemplary innovators joined us at The Johns Hopkins University - Carey Business School's beautiful location to hear about why they're here from Dr. Phil Phan and Dr. Elena Koustova, the story of lived experience from Dr. Kirsten E. Smith, how their innovations will be reimbursed from Jo Ellen Slurzberg, how to define their problem statement and finally the importance of including diverse populations in clinical studies from Kelly E. Dunn, Ph.D., M.B.A. (at DrKellyDunn). It was a great start to the program! #innovation #substanceusedisorders #entrepreneurship

Meet Yasaman I., a clinical research assistant at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Yasaman is interested in improving access to psychological and behavioral therapies for cocaine addiction. Cocaine abuse, especially with the rise of fentanyl-contaminated cocaine, has led to a surge in deaths, with over 27,500 fatalities reported involving both substances. Cocaine addiction can cause severe physical and psychological damage, and there is currently no definitive treatment available. Yasaman is working on an AI companion that offers a solution by providing 24/7 psychological support and health assessments during the cocaine withdrawal period. This low-cost, subscription-based service would provide crucial help to those with limited access to care, helping to reduce stigma and improve outcomes for individuals struggling with addiction. Welcome to #I4SUD2024, Yasaman! #CocaineAddiction #AICompanion #SubstanceUseSupport #AddictionRecovery #HealthcareInnovation

If you are in the DC area, join us for a happy hour next week to connect with our 2024 cohort and NIDA partners! https://lnkd.in/eKHQkNud

Meet Jiachen Yu, a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Coco wants to use baseline data (like demographics) and passive sensing data (such as SMS patterns) to build machine learning algorithms that monitor relapse risks in real-time. These models will not only identify when a patient is at high risk but also determine the factors contributing to the risk and recommend personalized treatment options. This approach will provide more accessible, lower-cost care, overcoming financial, geographic, and stigma-related barriers compared to traditional treatment methods. Welcome to #I4SUD2024, Coco! #AddictionRecovery #HealthTech #SUDTreatment #MachineLearning #RelapsePrevention

Meet Albert Burgess-Hull, PhD, Scientific Director at SUDx. Dr. Burgess-Hull and his research team have developed a real-time risk-stratification tool that predicts a patient's response to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) early in treatment. MOUD is a first-line treatment for opioid use disorder, but not all patients respond the same way. Currently, there’s no reliable way to predict which patients will be resistant to treatment, leading to delays in optimal care and potential disparities in access to quality treatment. Their system uses a model that forecasts substance use and medication adherence patterns, adjusts buprenorphine dosages, and flags improper use, helping clinicians provide personalized and timely care. This framework has broad potential beyond opioid use disorder, as it can be applied to other substance use disorders and chronic health conditions that require ongoing monitoring. Welcome to #I4SUD2024! #OpioidCrisis #HealthcareInnovation #AddictionTreatment #MOUD #PatientCare