UPDATES:
- We just launched a new substack, called Curing Addiction.
- And here's a new EA forum post with the latest on what we're doing.
Hi
I'm working on a research, policy, and advocacy project that's looking at breakthrough treatments for opiates, cocaine, and alcohol addictions and overdoses. There are radical new treatments in development, including several in Phase I, such as:
• Vaccines for fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and oxycodone
• More effective non-opiate painkillers
• Drugs that reduce addictiveness and craving
My growing belief is that (1) negative impact of the addiction crisis in the US and around the world is underestimated, (2) breakthrough medical treatments are the only realistic way to actually solve the problem, and (3) research and development of these treatments is radically and irrationally underfunded (see the NIH HEAL Initiative for some funding that is happening). At this stage, I'm working to put together strong evidence for all three points.
And I'm looking for help! The goal is to build a powerful argument that this space lacks funding and political urgency relative to its potential and then advance that case to the public and policy makers. I've been doing some writing that may become a public substack and have done a lot of research already on the state of the field and the key players. I don't think this information has been brought together anywhere publicly before.
My background is in public policy and tech-- I went to Brown for public policy, started and ran award-winning open-source and tech rights advocacy non-profit organizations, and then had a successful run in for-profit tech, which has given me the ability to choose my next project without worrying about income. I also have a science background so I'm able to read and understand the literature on these emerging treatments to a moderate level of granularity.
I'm making good progress myself but could use help in a few areas and I think having a small team of folks who are volunteering together could work really well and would be pretty fun.
Skills I'm looking for:
• It would be great to have someone looking at the numbers and building the analytic case for investment. For example, I believe that in the US overdoses are the 3rd largest cause of years of life lost behind only heart disease and cancer, but I need a little help locking down the numbers on that since the overdose stats are buried within 'accidents' mortality reporting. Similarly, I want to quantify some costs of the drug war on global development, impact of drug related crime in the US and globally, etc etc.
• A biology PhD would be great to have on this ragtag squad.
• Anyone with professional expertise in health policy would be super helpful.
• Anyone with professional experience in bringing drugs to market would be very helpful for evaluating timelines and likelihood of approval for various treatments, as part of building the case for increased investment.
• Someone who is good at turning numbers into clean charts and graphics would be very helpful for making strong presentation materials.
If you're interested or have questions or suggestions or know of resources that have addressed this topic that I may have missed, please message me on the forum! I'm new here, so I apologize if I'm not familiar with forum practices and etiquette.
Hi! I think this seems like a really promising area of research. I have been working in public policy for awhile (admittedly not health policy, though). I am okay at making graphics in Tableau, though not #1 by any stretch. (I am 100% willing to learn, though!). If there is any other help that you may need, I would love to stay in the loop on this project.
Furthermore, I would like to know if you have any particular goals for this research. Do you plan on starting a nonprofit, conducting advocacy, raising funding for more research on these potential treatments, etc.?
Great, I'll DM you and we can stay in touch.
My goal is to first build the case that the space is underfunded, and assuming that it feels convincing to me and others, try to push for more awareness and funding in the space. This could mean creating a formal or informal organization or it could just mean creating some kind of movement, momentum, etc. I'd love to get some of the leading researchers onto the popular health podcasts, help them create more powerful presentations for the public, talk to NIH researchers, politicians, and more. &... (read more)