APDI Offers Grants for Pediatric Medical Devices for Substance Use and Addiction

The Alliance for Pediatric Device Innovation (APDI), a nonprofit consortium led by Children’s National Hospital and funded by the FDA, has announced a grant opportunity for pediatric medical device solutions that improve the monitoring, diagnosis, or treatment of youth suffering from substance use disorder and addiction. 
 
Grants up to $50,000 each are available for pediatric-specific solutions selected by a panel of experts. Up to $150,000 in grant funds are available for distribution through this program.
 
“Tragically, drug overdose is now the third leading cause of death among adolescents and, to improve outcomes, we need medical technologies that are specifically designed for the youth,” said Kolaleh Eskandanian, vice president and chief innovation officer at Children’s National and APDI principal investigator and program director. “Teens and tweens are such enthusiastic users of technology. We believe that the time is right for new health technology solutions that can save lives and improve the health of our young people.”
 
In 2022, the National Institute of Health found that over 3.6 million US youth (aged 12 to 17) used illicit drugs, and on average 22 youth died weekly from overdose.
 
Currently, most medical devices are designed for adults, which limits their usability for adolescents. 
 
“Our goal is to bring more effective pediatric medical devices to market to address the alarming rate of harm substance misuse and addiction is creating for young people and their families,” Eskandanian added. “Since this is an area of focus for NIDA, we see an opportunity to help create a pipeline of qualified companies that can apply for NIDA follow-on funding.”
 
Dr. Eskandanian described the kinds of pediatric-focused innovations the grant seeks to attract, which align with NACDA’s listed priorities. They include, but are not limited to, the following:
Artificial intelligence-based algorithms that collect, integrate, analyze, and visualize various types of data related to the diagnosis or treatment of drug misuse and addiction in youth.

• Stand-alone or add-on digital therapeutics focused on behavioral health interventions to diagnose, treat, prevent, and mitigate drug misuse and addiction.

• Wearables and connected digital therapeutics at a point-of-need intended to detect, diagnose, and treat opioid-induced respiratory depression. 

• Therapeutic devices, such as neuromodulation, that are intended to improve SUD treatment outcomes and prevent recurrence.

 
This coincides with the National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse (NACDA) approval of the concept “Promoting Medical Device Development for Youth Affected by Drug Addiction and Substance Misuse,” which describes potential funding opportunities. 
 
Along with APDI grant funding, the consortium will provide awardees with support services across all phases of the medical device product lifecycle.
 
The application is available online and the deadline to apply is July 30, 2024.