Examining how opioid companies marketed addictive medications
Official title: Using opioid industry documents to understand marketing of addictive medications
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11187029 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how opioid companies marketed their products as safe and not addictive, using a lot of internal documents to see how these strategies affected doctors' prescribing habits and contributed to the opioid crisis, so that patients can better understand what happened and help improve safety in prescribing practices.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $680,802 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA058687-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11187029 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals who have been prescribed opioids or are concerned about opioid addiction.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who have never been prescribed opioids or have no interest in the implications of opioid marketing may not receive direct benefits from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the marketing strategies used by opioid manufacturers to promote their products as safe and non-addictive. By analyzing over 3.1 million internal documents from the opioid industry, the study aims to uncover how these marketing tactics influenced prescribing practices and contributed to the opioid crisis. Utilizing advanced methods, including artificial intelligence, the research will provide insights into the behaviors and decisions of both healthcare providers and regulators regarding opioid prescriptions. Patients may benefit from a better understanding of the factors that led to the opioid epidemic and the potential for improved regulations and safer prescribing practices.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more informed policies and practices that reduce the risk of addiction to opioid medications.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research on tobacco marketing has shown success in revealing harmful practices, suggesting that similar approaches may yield valuable insights in the opioid context.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Apollonio, Dorothy Elinor — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Apollonio, Dorothy Elinor
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.