Healing Without Habit: How Life Sciences Is Tackling Addiction

Addiction stands as one of the most pressing unmet medical needs that we just haven't quite cracked, with over 1.3 billion people being impacted worldwide. Sadly, our current treatments often fall short with high failure rates.

Just consider this: almost 21 million Americans grapple with addiction, yet only 10% of them are receiving any sort of treatment.

But addiction, or substance use disorder (SUD), is a chronic mental health condition that disrupts the brain's normal functions, meaning it deserves and requires much more attention.

While addiction is commonly linked to depression and anxiety, we must remember that this isn't just a mind thing; it's a life thing. Addiction seeps into every corner of a person's life.

Looking at the bigger picture, alcohol and drug addiction cost the US economy over $600 billion each year, and if we look at the last 30 years, drug overdose deaths have more than tripled.

As you can see, this is no small problem. In fact, given these troubling statistics, it's evident that we're in the midst of a serious public health crisis.

But there is a glimmer of hope: those in Life Sciences are working hard to tackle the addiction epidemic head-on. Keep reading for the latest updates...

First, let's talk about opioids.

Opioids are commonly prescribed to patients dealing with chronic pain, and while they're effective at blocking the sensation of pain, they also have a dark side: they're incredibly addictive.

To put it in perspective, they claim the lives of around 130 Americans every single day.

As the opioid crisis continues to evolve, we can't deny that an overreliance on prescription opioids for chronic pain management has contributed to the situation, with prescription opioid deaths increasing fivefold over the last 20 years.

At the same time, millions of Americans suffering from persistent pain do not have access to adequate relief, meaning there's a real urgent need for alternative treatments that won't drag pain patients into the addiction abyss.

Life Scientists, with support from the FDA, are now on a mission to make this a reality, researching and developing alternative pain treatments that reduce risk, remove barriers, prevent the cycle of addiction, and, most importantly, save millions of lives.

Research teams are exploring various avenues, from creating monoclonal antibodies to developing new classes of non-addictive compounds. They're even uncovering new pathways to pain relief and discovering ways to enhance the effects of the body's natural pain relief chemicals – all enormous steps forward in the search for non-addictive pain relief alternatives.

Dive deeper into four studies that provide hope for a future of non-addictive pain relief

Previously, we've explored the potential of psychedelics as treatment for mental health disorders.

It goes without saying, these mind-altering substances have had a complex and controversial history, largely due to their recreational use. That's why, until now, medicinal uses of psychedelics have been banned.

In recent years, however, several clinical trials have shown promise in using them to treat depression, PTSD, OCD, and addiction, resulting in more research and development into the therapeutic benefits of hallucinogenics.

Now, fast-forward to today. Psychedelic therapies are targeting alcohol use disorder, which affects around 300 million people and causes 5.3% of deaths each year worldwide.

In fact, alcohol is the most widely abused substance in the US, and yet, alcoholism is commonly left untreated despite its effects being detrimental to a person's physical, mental and social well-being.

To tackle this devastating and all too common addiction, ketamine is now being offered alongside psychotherapy to treat alcohol-dependent individuals. This combination is said to recalibrate the brain, fighting addictive behaviors and keeping relapses at bay.

Since several clinical trials of the same nature led to some promising results, the end of last year saw the largest Phase III trial of its kind be approved, testing this approach on a further 280 patients with severe alcohol use disorder.

Explore the effects of ketamine-assisted therapy in treating alcohol dependency

Cocaine addiction is a growing concern, with around 5 million Americans regularly using the highly addictive drug. Yet, the really scary part is that cocaine-related deaths have grown every year since 2013.

Even though most people these days recognize cocaine's addictive nature, thousands are still drawn to it. That temptation can come with some serious consequences, such as damaged organs, mental health troubles, and respiratory failure.

And the harsh reality is that some cocaine users become addicted to the drug after using it only once, proving it to be a difficult tendency to treat.

So, with therapies few and far between and no FDA-approved medication, pioneering researchers are now investigating whether soundwaves can reduce cravings for the highly addictive drug, or help patients overcome cocaine addiction altogether.

It's said that these soundwaves, specifically low-intensity focused ultrasound, could be what we've been waiting for, causing chemical changes in brain cells and reducing the overall desire for cocaine.

Discover the effects of soundwaves in curbing cocaine addiction

When it comes to addiction, it's clear that we're facing a shortage of truly effective treatments that can help individuals break free from their vices.

As we know, it's a challenging road to recovery, and there's no doubt that more treatment options with improved patient outcomes need to be made available to support those in need and improve the lives of millions of people all across the globe.

What's your take on Life Sciences' approach to tackling substance abuse? Let us know in the comments!

'Til the next time,

The Meet Team