From drinking and smoking to sex and screens, specialized startups are rethinking addiction.
Quel. Partnering with Caron Treatment Centers, Quel debuted its digital dopamine health platform. Blaming predatory business practices for hooking people, it prescribes GLP-1s off-label to resolve compulsive behaviors ranging from drugs and porn to sugar and scrolling.
Pelago. YC-backed, Pelago combines CBT and medication-assisted care for substance abuse, plus rolled out general mental healthcare, behavioral addiction plans, and an AI triaging agent this week — claiming to save employers nearly $12K per user with outcomes-based pricing.
Nosis. Freshly launched, Nosis applies systems biology to rebuild the body post substance use disorder. Its recovery-specific health plans merge bloodwork, lifestyle interventions, primary care, therapy, community support, and meds like GLP-1s.
Oar. Creating a prescription naltrexone-based mint, telehealth platform Oar Health prescribes its Clutch sublingual tablets to blunt opioid receptors and gradually reducing alcohol cravings.
Takeaway: Realizing all addictions share underlying neurobiology, consumers want to reclaim their brains but need help retraining their reward system. For benign cases, intellectual wellness is emerging, but more serious substance struggles call for personalized care.
