FDA Approves Vertex Pharma's JOURNAVX As The First Drug In A New Class Of Non-Opioid Pain Medicines

(RTTNews) - Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (VRTX) has secured FDA approval for Suzetrigine, an oral, non-opioid, highly selective NaV1.8 pain signal inhibitor, for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe acute pain.

The drug, which will be marketed under the brand name JOURNAVX, is the first and only approved non-opioid oral pain signal inhibitor and the first new class of pain medicine approved in more than 20 years. The most recent pain medication approved before JOURNAVX was Pfizer's Celebrex, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) indicated to alleviate pain, fever, swelling, and tenderness associated with arthritis, which was granted the FDA nod in 1998.

JOURNAVX reportedly carries a list price of $15.50 per pill, significantly higher than generic opioid medications, which can cost as little as $1.

Acute pain is a significant and potentially debilitating condition, often resulting from surgery, accidents, or injuries. Each year, over 80 million Americans are prescribed medications to manage moderate-to-severe acute pain, with approximately 40 million being prescribed opioids.

Commenting on the FDA approval, Jessica Oswald, Associate Physician in Emergency Medicine and Pain Medicine in San Diego and Vertex Acute Pain Steering Committee Member, said, "This is an incredible day for patients and physicians alike who now have an approved non-opioid treatment that delivers effective acute pain relief and a favorable safety profile without addictive potential".

VRTX closed Thursday's trading at $438.40, down 0.71%. In after-hours, the stock was up over 8% at $474.02.