The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a novel non-opioid analgesic that is intended to alleviate short-term pain in adults.
The suzetrigine, marketed under the brand Journavx, intercepts pain signals before entering the brain.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer, stated that this allows it to effectively alleviate moderate to severe pain without the “addictive potential of opioids.”
For years, the United States has been contending with a painkiller addiction crisis. In 2017, President Trump termed it a “national shame” and declared a public health emergency in the United States.
The FDA declared that Jounavx’s approval was “an important public health milestone in acute pain management” and cited clinical trials demonstrating its ability to alleviate pain following surgery.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), opioid use results in the fatalities of tens of thousands of Americans annually, with 82,000 opioid-related overdose deaths estimated for 2022.
To address the substantial quantities of fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid, that are entering the country, President Trump has announced that he will impose a 25% border tax on imports from Canada and Mexico during his second term.
The president has also expressed his intention to impose tariffs on China, citing the country’s fentanyl exports as justification.
Opioids function by inhibiting pain signals by activating opioid receptors in the brain.
The US Opioid Crisis: Why Journavx Is a Potential Game-Changer
During this process, the brain is also inundated with the neurotransmitter dopamine, which activates the reward system and induces feelings of euphoria.
This renders opioids exceedingly addictive. Vertex predicts that nearly 10% of acute pain patients who are initially treated with an opioid will continue to use opioids for an extended period.
However, Journavx operates distinctly by preventing pain signals from reaching the brain.
Vertex claims that the drug is the first in a new class of pain medicine to be licensed in over two decades.
Reshma Kewalramani, the company’s CEO, described the approval as a “historic milestone” for the 80 million Americans receiving prescriptions for moderate to severe acute pain each year.
The company announced that Journavx will be priced at $15.50 (£12.50) per capsule. It also stated that the drug’s safety and efficacy in minors are not yet established.
