A new non-opioid painkiller tailored for treating short-term pain in adults has been granted approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The medication, suzetrigine, branded as Journavx, functions by intercepting pain signals before they travel to the brain, offering effective relief for moderate to severe pain while bypassing the addictive risks associated with opioids.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals, the drug's manufacturer, highlighted that this approach distinguishes it from opioids, which have fueled a longstanding addiction crisis in the US. In 2017, President Trump labeled this crisis a "national shame" and announced a public health emergency.
Clinical trials supported by the FDA demonstrated Jounavx's efficacy in reducing postsurgical pain, marking its approval as a noteworthy advancement in acute pain management.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), opioid-related overdoses claimed approximately 82,000 lives in 2022, underscoring the urgency of finding safer alternatives like Journavx.
While opioids trigger dopamine release in the brain, leading to euphoric sensations and addictive behaviors, Journavx blocks pain signals from reaching the brain, representing a novel method in pain relief.
Vertex asserts that this drug represents the first novel approach to pain management to secure FDA approval in over two decades. CEO Reshma Kewalramani hailed the approval as a "historic milestone" benefiting the 80 million Americans prescribed medicine for moderate to severe acute pain annually.