Lev Facher

The US saw a significant drop in the number of drug overdose deaths. The Trump administration has a shot at keeping the trend going. STAT News's addiction reporter, Lev Facher, explains.This episode was produced by Haleema Shah, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King.An addiction recovery billboard in Minneapolis. Photo by Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael McRae, StartCare leader focused on local harm reduction and racial equity. Lev Facher, data-driven addiction reporter at STAT News. They discuss the recent drop in opioid overdose deaths. They explore racial disparities, the pandemic’s role, policy versus market forces, China's precursor crackdown, rising stimulant and polysubstance deaths, and lifesaving treatments like buprenorphine and naloxone.

Exploring barriers to using life-saving tools in combating opioid overdose epidemic, trends in venture capital financing in the biotech industry, Novo Nordisk's promising oral medication for obesity, and the critical role of methadone and buprenorphine in reducing opioid deaths.