Ohio will give Elysium Therapeutics $3 million in funding to develop a new class of opioids that cannot be abused, according to The Inquirer.
The initial funding represents a portion of the $20 million in grants Republican Gov. John Kasich requested to help create technological solutions to the opioid epidemic.
Ohio reported 4,050 overdose deaths in 2016 — 1,000 more than the prior year, according to the report.
"Our goal is to reduce the number of fatal overdoses," Greg Sturmer, CEO of Elysium Therapeutics told The Inquirer. He said Elysium will use the state's money to fund animal testing before moving on to clinical trials.
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