Reprint of: Biotechnologies and the future of opioid addiction treatments
Biotechnological treatment, including addiction treatment, is the way of the future. Researchers and pharmaceutical companies praise depot injections, agonist/antagonist implants, deep brain stimulation, and hapten conjugate vaccines as medicine's greatest chance for reducing illegal usage, reducing the danger of overdose and severe withdrawal, and preventing drug diversion to criminal markets.
Old conflicts around ideas of addiction and treatment are revealed by marketing and the use of new technologies: between medical condition and will disorder, between criminal justice and health, and...