The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved Journavx (suzetrigine), a groundbreaking non-opioid painkiller developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals. This marks the first new non-opioid pain medication approved in over two decades, offering a potential alternative to addictive opioid treatments for moderate to severe acute pain.
Journavx’s approval comes as a significant development in pain management, addressing the urgent need for non-addictive pain relief options. A patient who participated in clinical trials for Journavx, Samantha, 50, shared her positive experience after taking the medication following rhinoplasty. She reported experiencing no pain and remaining coherent, able to send emails and make calls immediately after surgery. This contrasted sharply with her previous experience with opioids after carpal tunnel surgery, which left her feeling “loopy,” nauseous, and dizzy. Samantha also noted the absence of opioid-induced constipation, a side effect she described as “awful.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(342×235:344×237)/fda-building-050223-1-7205de20c9d04827809b281ee8e5f372.jpg)
Opioids, while effective for pain relief, carry significant risks of addiction and overdose. The Mayo Clinic reports that even short-term opioid use can lead to dependency. In 2022 alone, over 81,000 opioid-related overdose deaths were recorded in the U.S., a stark increase from 49,860 in 2019. Unlike opioids, which block pain receptors in the brain, Journavx targets sodium channels in the peripheral nervous system, disrupting pain signals before they reach the brain. This mechanism of action is believed to be responsible for its non-addictive properties.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals highlighted the widespread use of opioids for acute pain, stating that approximately half of the 80 million Americans prescribed pain medication annually receive opioids. The company further noted that nearly 10% of these patients develop prolonged opioid use, with around 85,000 cases of opioid use disorder arising each year. Dr. Jessica Oswald, an Associate Physician in Emergency Medicine and Pain Medicine and a member of the Vertex Acute Pain Steering Committee, emphasized the desperate need for non-opioid alternatives. She believes that Journavx, with its lack of addictive potential, could revolutionize pain management.
Dr. Richard Rosenquist, enterprise chairman in the department of pain management at the Cleveland Clinic’s Neurological Institute, echoed this sentiment, stating that all current evidence suggests Journavx carries no risk of addiction, comparing its potential for dependency to that of over-the-counter pain relievers like Tylenol or ibuprofen. This promising new drug offers hope for millions suffering from acute pain, providing a much-needed alternative to the risks associated with opioid medications. The availability of Journavx is expected to significantly impact the landscape of pain management, potentially reducing the incidence of opioid addiction and overdose.
