NIH abruptly changes course on industry opioids partnership after ethics flags raised

WASHINGTON — It’s been touted by health officials for almost a year: a planned opioids research partnership worth roughly $400 million. Ideally, the National Institutes of Health and the pharmaceutical industry would each pick up half the tab, NIH Director Francis Collins has said, to fund research aimed at addressing the opioid epidemic.

Collins reiterated last month: Dozens of drug companies were on the verge of teaming up with the agency, which researchers hope will lead to the discovery of new medicines to treat addiction or serve as alternatives to opioids.

But in an abrupt shift, the agency announced late last week that it won’t accept funds from drug makers after issued earlier this month by an NIH advisory panel, Collins said the agency will exclusively use taxpayer money to fund a on pain and substance use disorder treatment.