# Development of a telehealth medication-assisted treatment (MAT) system for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD)

> **NIH ALLCDC R43** · ADDINEX TECHNOLOGIES, INC. · 2021 · $259,559

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Millions of opioid prescriptions are written each year. In 2018, nearly 70% of the 70,237 drug overdose deaths
in the U.S. involved opioids, a figure that is projected to grow to 81,700 deaths by 2025. The COVID-19 pandemic
is further exacerbating this and has exposed many vulnerabilities in the treatment of patients with OUD.
Provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that drug overdose deaths
have increased by more than 15% from May 2019 to May 2020. Of those patients prescribed opioids, between
8-12% will later develop opioid use disorder (OUD). Given that prescription opioids remain the dominant route
through which OUD begins, reducing their abuse and diversion can translate over time into reduced deaths.
Many patients with OUD are treated by a combination of buprenorphine with counseling and behavioral
therapies, also known as Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT). Although buprenorphine is less addictive than
opioids or other treatments (e.g., methadone), it is not invulnerable to abuse or diversion. There is therefore a
significant opportunity for the development of new technologies aimed at remotely treating OUD, and preventing
drug misuse, abuse, and diversion. Although several secure dispenser technologies are under development,
there remains a critical need for a comprehensive solution that prevents and/or treats addiction, tracks usage,
collects data, and eliminates excess medication, while also remaining modular and cost effective enough to be
widely accessible. Addinex Technologies, Inc. is developing the only solution that, for less than $20/patient,
combines: 1) a patented, secure, low-cost and modular medication-dispenser which controls medication access
and encourages convenient and safe unused medication disposal, combined with 2) companion mobile patient
app and physician/pharmacist web-based software that features interactive modules and surveys to improve
patient education and engagement, caregiver monitoring, and teletherapy to facilitate patient-provider
interactions. In this Phase I SBIR, Addinex will (Aim 1) develop their comprehensive system for at-home OUD
treatment by modifying it for use with suboxone strips and enhancing their companion software for OUD
treatment and text-compatibility. We will then (Aim 2) leverage a collaboration with Yale School of Medicine and
the In-Home Addiction Treatment Institute (IHATI)/Aware Recovery to survey treatment providers to obtain
feedback that will guide the integration of the Addinex system into OUD treatment programs and conduct a
usability and acceptability study for the text-based and app-based system across patients (n = 60) undergoing
OUD treatment. Successful completion of these aims will provide critical insights to further optimize the Addinex
system and to guide the design of a larger, randomized controlled trial to demonstrate its efficacy and cost-
effectiveness. Ultimately, this study will be the springboard for th...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10322290
- **Project number:** 1R43CE003533-01
- **Recipient organization:** ADDINEX TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Stanislav Roslyakov
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** ALLCDC
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $259,559
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-30 → 2023-09-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10322290

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10322290, Development of a telehealth medication-assisted treatment (MAT) system for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) (1R43CE003533-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10322290. Licensed CC0.

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