Baltimore News Journal

Ria Health, a leading telehealth provider specializing in Alcohol Use Disorder treatment (AUD) has been awarded a $2 million grant focused on a clinical trial assessing its medically assisted treatment program’s effectiveness.  The grant was awarded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  The clinical study based on the grant will focus on a partnership with Stanford University. 

The study will be conducted in two phases and will begin with a precision-like focus on the identification and screening of trial candidates.  Once milestones are achieved and regulatory controls are in place, the second phase will begin. In Phase Two, subjects will be enrolled in the study and the study will begin in full force.

“At Stanford, we are pleased to collaborate on this grant from NIH,” said Judith Prochaska, PhD, MPH, Professor of Medicine with the Stanford Prevention Research Center. “It will support a randomized controlled trial evaluation of Ria Health’s telehealth intervention to increase screening and treatment for alcohol use disorder.”

There are many reasons this study has the potential to change the trajectory of AUD treatment.  For example, since 2012, U.S. life expectancy has been significantly reduced.  Alcohol use has been a consistent contributor to this reduction in life expectancy. In 2020, for example, 28.3 million people suffered from AUD in the U.S. alone.  That is a staggering number.   As the number continues to grow, treatment rates have been consistently declining.  The only way to stop this cycle is with consistent and innovative treatment and care.

“This grant is a step towards preventative evidence-based interventions that can help reduce the alarming increases rates of cirrhosis that are disproportionately affecting people under the age of 45 and women who are misusing alcohol,” said Tom Nix, CEO of Ria Health. “Early detection of liver abnormalities and treatments for alcohol misuse are proven to reduce acute liver disease which require life altering treatments and cause high mortality rates.”

For those in treatment, the Ria Health Program focuses on a reduction in alcohol consumption.  This is achieved through a medical attention, counseling, and more. Several FDA-approved medications for AUD are also used that, when used in addition to effective counseling, have been proven effective in long-term treatment. Participants also use a Bluetooth device to track and monitor blood alcohol levels, as part of the program. Unlike other AUD programs, the Ria program doesn’t mandate complete and total abstinence from alcohol.  This focus, instead, is on tangible behavior modifications.

More information about the grant can be found online at:

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/0rkfTR_5QUiK4A2JP9NSFA/project-details/10604054 and riahealth.com.   

About Ria Health

Over their lifetime, 1 in 10 adults will struggle with alcohol use disorder, the third-leading cause of preventable death in the United States. At Ria Health, we envision a world with accessible, effective, and compassionate treatment for people who suffer from alcohol misuse. Ria Health is the first evidence-based telehealth treatment program for people who want to drink less and live better by changing their relationship with alcohol. We combine medical science, technology, and human compassion to help people rapidly improve their lives with a simple, online alcohol treatment program that works. For more information, visit www.riahealth.com.