The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new type of prescription pain medication for adults to treat moderate to severe acute pain. The drug, called Journavx (suzetrigine), is manufactured by Vertex Pharmaceuticals and represents a significant advancement in pain management. Unlike opioids, Journavx does not have addictive properties, making it a safer alternative for patients.
Dr. Jacqueline Corrigan-Curay, acting director of the FDA‘s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, hailed the approval as an important public health milestone. “A new non-opioid analgesic therapeutic class for acute pain offers an opportunity to mitigate certain risks associated with using an opioid for pain and provides patients with another treatment option,” she said.
In two clinical trials involving adults aged 18 to 80, Journavx was found to reduce moderate to severe acute pain by about 50% within 48 hours. The average time to meaningful pain relief ranged from two to four hours, compared to eight hours in the placebo group.
Journavx works by inhibiting the NaV1.8 pain signal in the peripheral nervous system. Since this channel is not expressed in the brain or central nervous system, the drug does not have addictive properties like opioids.
Journavx was found to be as effective as hydrocodone, an opioid pain medication, for reducing acute pain, with the added benefit of being non-addictive. In another clinical trial, the drug was tested in patients with a broader range of surgical and non-surgical acute pain conditions and was found to be safe and effective. Over 80% of patients rated Journavx as a good, very good, or excellent pain medication for multiple acute pain types.
Dr. Jianguo Cheng, a professor of anesthesiology and medical director of the Cleveland Clinic Consortium for Pain at Cleveland Clinic, praised the new drug. “It offers a safer option for managing moderate-to-severe acute pain, reducing reliance on opioids,” he said. “It offers rapid relief and can be integrated into postoperative pain protocols or acute pain scenarios where immediate relief is critical.”
By managing acute pain effectively, Journavx may help prevent the transition to chronic pain, reducing the need for long-term pain management strategies. The approval of this non-opioid pain medication provides patients and healthcare providers with a safer alternative for pain relief and represents a significant step forward in addressing the opioid crisis.