Associated Press

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio will pay to support development of pain management alternatives, mobile apps to improve addiction treatment and other advanced technologies through $10 million in competitive grants.

The 15 grant winners of the Ohio Third Frontier Commission’s competition supporting scientific breakthroughs that address the national opioid epidemic were announced Thursday. The research and technology initiative made up to $12 million available.

The grant competition is part of Ohio’s two-pronged strategy to drive innovative research and development in opioid and addiction science.

The second element is an $8 million Ohio Opioid Technology Challenge. State officials were generating ideas for the contest Thursday with a Tech2025 hackathon event in New York.

Ohio saw 4,050 overdose deaths last year, among the highest in the nation. Many were linked to heroin and synthetic opioids like fentanyl.