Issue No. 82: Ending Addiction

Warning Signs

Experts see coronavirus as a “perfect storm”, the combined effects of a pandemic, unemployment, and social isolation, that could drive substance abuse rates higher than ever before.

• Nearly half of Americans say the coronavirus crisis is harming their mental health.
• April saw a 1000% increase in people reaching out to the National Institute of Mental Health’s emotional distress hotline.
• US “life satisfaction” reached a low point not seen since the Great Recession in November 2008.

Further complicating matters, alcohol and prescription medication were in high demand during the lockdown.

Alcohol. With liquor stores deemed essential businesses, alcohol sales at US retailers shot up 55% in the days following the national emergency declaration. More recently, the increase subsided but was still up 27%. Outpacing retail, online alcohol sales in the US increased by 477%.

Prescriptions. Anti-anxiety medications and sleep aids are being prescribed in record numbers. In March 2020, prescriptions for anti-anxiety medications jumped 10.2% to 9.7M in the US. Similarly, prescriptions for antidepressants, including Prozac and Lexapro, rose 9.2% to 29.7M. And Zoloft prescriptions climbed 12% YoY to 4.9M, the most ever in the US, creating a supply shortage.

According to post-disaster research, substance abuse generally increases following major traumatic events. In the case of COVID-19, mass unemployment and the loss of health benefits could lead people to self-medicate with opioids, alcohol, and prescription medications — exacerbating the underlying problem.

The Underlying Problem

Addiction treatment in the US is critically important but deeply flawed.

• More than 20M Americans suffer a substance abuse disorder related to drug and alcohol use.
• In the US, more than 750,000 people have died since 1999 from a drug overdose.
• The abuse of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs costs the US economy $740B annually.

Despite the fact that drug overdoses kill tens of thousands of Americans every year, treatment is often inaccessible. Among those who are treated, most do not receive evidence-based care. And lacking empirically supported treatment, 40–60% of people recovering from drug addiction will relapse.

While care providers, insurers, and federal regulators must reform a broken system, a growing list of startups aren’t waiting for a solution — they’re trying to create one.

Ending Addiction

Like mental health, senior care, and fertility services before it, ending addiction has become the aim of tech companies and wellness upstarts alike. Now, new methods are being developed to destigmatize treatment and increase access to care.

According to Rock Health, digital solutions for addiction are on the rise. While strategies vary, treatments tend to include elements of pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, contingency management, and social support.

At a time when telemedicine and online pharmacies gain wider adoption, addiction solutions are leveraging the same technology. Approaching the problem from a different perspective, social networks and smartphone apps targeting substance abuse are attempting to normalize rehab and recovery.

A number of recent funding rounds and product launches speak to the momentum behind this category.

Alcohol. From Dry January to the rise of alcohol alternatives, not drinking is the new cool — especially among younger generations and high-performers. Seizing this moment, startups focused on sobriety are springing up.

With $14M in funding, Tempest is reinventing alcohol recovery. Related, Loosid is a “sober social network” offering community support, dating, and more. Earlier this year, Big Sky Health unveiled Less, an app that helps users track alcohol consumption. More recently, and armed with $7.5M in funding, Monument launched a digital treatment platform for users looking to change their relationship with alcohol.

Tobacco. Nicotine addiction, vaping, and the effects of smoking continue to make headlines, especially given COVID’s impact on the respiratory system. Because smoking costs the US $300B and 500K lives each year, curbing this addiction has become a big business.

To date, Carrot has raised $30M to help millions of people quit smoking. Lucy, a direct-to-consumer company selling nicotine gum and lozenges, raised a $10M Series A in February. And Quit Genius, a company focused on smoking and vaping cessation, recently secured $11M to expand into alcohol and opioid addiction.

Opioids. 2018 data shows that every day, 128 people in the US die after overdosing on opioids. From prescription pain relievers to heroin and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, opioid addiction impacts public health as well as social and economic welfare.

Boulder, a digital treatment platform for opioid addiction, has raised $10M to address these issues. Earlier in 2020, Ophelia, an online platform offering medication and support for quitting opioids secured $2.7M in funding. More recently, axialHealthcare, a platform for opioid medication solutions, closed $15M in Series C to reduce opioid dependence and addiction.

Takeaway

Far from a panacea, digital solutions for treating addiction are still nascent. And it’s impossible to fully address the addiction epidemic without also confronting the broader mental health crisis. But, as we’ve seen during COVID, the use of technology in primary care, for mental health screenings, and prescribing medication remotely has the potential to transform healthcare as we know it. Looking ahead, the hope is that this same kind of innovation will play a pivotal role in ending addiction.

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✂️ Cutting Ties

Sponsors, affiliated gyms, and athletes are cutting ties with CrossFit following a controversial tweet from company founder and CEO Greg Glassman about the death of George Floyd.

What he said: On Saturday, Mr. Glassman responded to a tweet that said: “Racism and discrimination are critical public health issues that demand an urgent response.” He tweeted in reply, “It’s Floyd-19.”

The fallout: Glassman’s tweet drew a swift response on social media. The backlash has only intensified in the days since:

• Reebok, the official CrossFit outfitter and a major sponsor of the CrossFit Games, will not extend its 10-year partnership.
• Rogue Fitness will remove CrossFit’s branding from an upcoming fitness competition.
• 50+ others, including NOBULL, WIT Fitness, and FITAID disassociated from CrossFit.
• 1100+ CrossFit gyms have ended their affiliation with the brand or plan to if Glassman doesn’t step down.
• CrossFit athletes spoke out against Glassman, with some refusing to compete if he remains in place.

For context: In 2000, Glassman started CrossFit in a Santa Cruz, California garage. By 2005, there were 13 affiliate gyms. In 2012, that number grew to 3,400. Today, there are more than 14,000 affiliate gyms in 150 countries. According to Forbes, the CrossFit brand generated $4B in annual revenue in 2018, with CrossFit, Inc. raking in more than $100M.

Punchline: Glassman has since apologized for his tweet, but the controversy rages on. Now, more than ever, everyone’s watching how brands handle the problem of racial injustice. Actions speak louder than words, and CrossFit is learning this lesson the hard way. Glassman’s comments will cost the company millions and could do irreparable damage to the brand.

😣 Pain Point

Alleviating back pain is a billion-dollar business. And now, musculoskeletal care is going digital.

What it is: Musculoskeletal pain affects the bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves. Treatments can range from medication and massage to surgery if conditions don’t improve.

By the numbers

• Half of Americans report back and joint pain.
• In the US, economic costs of back pain exceed $100B annually.
• 85% of employers say musculoskeletal issues drive healthcare costs up.

Taking aim at joint pain, digital health startups are focusing on tech-enabled physical therapy.

In February, Hinge Health raised $90M in Series C funding for its digital solution for chronic back and joint pain. According to Crunchbase News, the company has a 100% retention rate and holds 80% market share.

Hoping to keep pace, digital physical therapy company SWORD Health also secured funding in February, bringing in $9M. And just last month, Omada Health signaled their interest in the space by acquiring Physera, a leading musculoskeletal care company, for $30M.

Be on the lookout: As mental health platforms and meditation apps tailor their digital offerings to enterprise customers, expect to see more virtual solutions for physical therapy follow suit. And in turn, larger integration of remote musculoskeletal care into employee well-being programs.

📰 News & Notes

• Streaming fitness for boomers?
• McKinsey: Telehealth spending to reach $250B in 2020.
• Lease an apartment in Manhattan, they’ll throw in a Peloton.
• Plant-based foods outpaced total food sales during the pandemic.
• Nursing home design is deadly. [Reread it: The Senior Care Crisis]
• Gap is shutting down men’s activewear brand Hill City after two years.
• Gardening is the key to happiness. [Reread it: Fitness, but Make it Free]

💰 Money Moves

• Slovakian startup GymBeam, an e-commerce platform for fitness and nutrition, landed a €6M ($6.8M USD) investment.
• Maven, a digital health clinic that caters to women and children, is buying parent-child relationship app Bright Parenting.
• Tictrac secures $7.5M to expand its employee well-being platform.
• Advekit, a platform for finding mental health support, closed a $2.6M seed round. 
• Indoor gardening startup Rise Gardens raised $2.6M in seed funding
• Giannis Antetokounmpo bought an ownership stake in Ready Nutrition, makers of all-natural sports nutrition products.

Raising funding or recently closed a round? Email us: team@fitt.co