The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new non-opioid painkiller called suzetrigine, marketed under the brand name Journavx.
Designed to treat moderate to severe acute pain in adults, the drug works by blocking pain signals before they reach the brain, offering an alternative to opioids that avoids their addictive potential.
Suzetrigine represents a significant advancement in pain management, as it is the first new class of pain medication to be approved in over 20 years. Vertex Pharmaceuticals, the drug’s manufacturer, emphasizes that this new medication could help mitigate the opioid addiction crisis that has plagued the US for years. Opioids, such as Vicodin, are known to activate the brain’s reward system, which can lead to addiction. In contrast, suzetrigine specifically targets peripheral nerve pathways without affecting the brain, significantly reducing the risk of dependency.
The drug was tested in two large clinical trials involving nearly 2,000 patients who had undergone surgeries such as tummy tucks and bunionectomies. Suzetrigine demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in pain compared to a placebo, providing relief comparable to opioid-based treatments, without the common side effects like nausea and drowsiness. Vertex estimates that around 85,000 people annually become addicted to prescription opioids, underscoring the need for alternatives like suzetrigine.
Priced at $15.50 per pill, the medication will be available for patients needing short-term pain relief, with a typical treatment regimen involving two pills per day. Although the cost of suzetrigine is higher than some traditional painkillers, its non-addictive properties make it an important option for those concerned about the risks of opioid use. It remains to be seen whether the drug will expand into treatments for chronic pain conditions, such as peripheral neuropathy, where early studies have shown mixed results.
BBC, Market Watch, and the New York Times contributed to this report.
