An antidote for addiction? METH-OD is saving lives.

It’s a sobering set of statistics: More than 1.6 million people have abused methamphetamines in the last year. Over 30,000 of those died.

Our client Providence Health recognizes the severity of the drug overdose crisis, and they’re working to find a solution. They’re also committed to caring for vulnerable populations who are traditionally overlooked in health systems. That’s why they introduced the METH-OD clinical trial. METH-OD is a research trial that tests if methamphetamine-binding antibodies can reverse the effects of meth intoxication or overdose. The antibody works by binding to the meth, acting as a sponge and transferring it to the kidney and liver. In return, the “high” effects are minimized, and the patient is better able to complete their everyday tasks and begin to re-integrate into society.

Methamphetamine is found throughout the United States but is especially common in the Western U.S. With a need for drug overdose treatments all over the country, developments from the METH-OD study have the potential to help a wide range of patients, even those outside of Providence’s service areas. For vulnerable populations, help like this doesn’t come along very often. The team at Providence is dedicated to finding meaningful solutions for their patients, as demonstrated in this moving short video about METH-OD that we produced on their behalf.