State offering money for ideas to combat drug overdose deaths

Ohio officials are offering money to attract ideas to help stem the state addiction crisis that claimed 4,050 lives in Ohio last year  (Source: “Have an idea to fight opioids? State offering money for technology proposals,” Columbus Dispatch, Oct. 18, 2017).

The Ohio Opioid Technology Challenge now is accepting proposals at www.OpioidTechChallenge.com to identify technology that holds the promise of treating pain without painkillers and diagnosing, treating and preventing abuse and overdoses.

More than $6.5 million will be spent on the “idea” phase of the overall $20 million state program initiated by Gov. John Kasich from Third Frontier dollars generated by a voter-approved bond issue.

Five of the most-promising ideas will be awarded $10,000 each, making them eligible later for grants of hundreds of thousands of dollars to advance “technical solutions” in tacking opioid addiction. The final stage in 2019 will develop the ideas into products for use in the marketplace to fight drug abuse. Proposals are due by Dec. 15.

Meanwhile, more than 40 universities, hospitals, medical companies and others have submitted letters of intent in hopes of capturing a share of $12 million in state grants to commercialize their proposals nearing completion. Third-party evaluators are expected to recommend in December which proposals get funding.