Innovators across the UK are being offered £20 million in government funding to develop groundbreaking medicines, medical technologies, and digital tools aimed at fighting drug and alcohol addiction.

 

Every year, around 15,000 people in the UK die due to substance misuse, while hundreds of thousands more suffer — costing England an estimated £47 billion annually.

 

The grants, delivered through Innovate UK, will support technologies designed to improve treatment, strengthen recovery, and reduce harm. These include new medicines, medical devices, wearables, virtual‑reality therapies, treatment apps, and AI‑enabled tools.

 

Health Minister Dr Zubir Ahmed said: "Addiction ruins lives and we need to look at any way we can help ease the suffering - and aid the recovery - of hundreds of thousands of people. Embracing new technology will help supplement all the work this government is already doing, including expanding access to vital drugs and providing billions in funding for drug and alcohol prevention treatment and recovery. Finding new ways to combat the scourge of addiction could save thousands of lives and billions of pounds."

 

The funding comes under the AHG Catalysing Innovation Awards, part of the Addiction Healthcare Goals programme led by the Office for Life Sciences. The awards aim to accelerate the development of technologies that can transform care for people with addictions, prevent relapse, and reduce the risk of overdose and death.

 

Science Minister Lord Vallance said: "Cutting-edge medicines and technologies could save thousands of lives lost to alcohol and drug addiction while improving outcomes for hundreds of thousands more. Backing both late‑stage technologies and earlier‑stage innovations means we are creating a clear and rapid route from breakthrough ideas to real‑world impact. This is about using the UK’s scientific excellence to prevent avoidable deaths and support recovery, while helping innovative companies to grow and thrive in the UK at the same time."

 

Professor Anne Lingford‑Hughes, Chair of Addiction Healthcare Goals, added: "Too many lives are still cut short by drug and alcohol addictions, and healthcare innovations are urgently needed to address the immense personal, mental and physical health and societal impacts they cause. To meet this challenge, I am pleased to be working with Innovate UK to launch these Catalysing Innovation Awards, supporting the development of the most promising medicines, devices and digital tools to enhance treatment and care. 

 

"These awards will support UK companies and innovators to build the evidence needed to show what works in real services, ensuring innovations reach the people who need them sooner, prevent deaths and strengthen recovery."

 

Dr Stella Peace, Managing Director, Healthy Living and Agriculture, Innovate UK, said: "Working with the Office for Life Sciences, Innovate UK is accelerating the development of cutting‑edge drug and alcohol addiction treatments and interventions to move quickly from research into real‑world services. By fast‑tracking these innovations into the hands of clinicians and support teams, we can improve outcomes for people with these addictions and drive economic benefit for the UK."

 

Successful innovators will also gain exclusive access to guidance from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), smoothing the path to certification, approval, and deployment in UK health services.