FDA Approves Vertex’s Journavx: First Non-Opioid Pain Medication in Decades
The FDA approved Journavx (suzetrigine) on January 30, 2025, for treating moderate to severe acute pain in adults5.
Journavx is the first new class of pain medicine approved in over 20 years and the first non-opioid oral pain signal inhibitor4.
The drug works by targeting a pain-signaling pathway involving sodium channels in the peripheral nervous system before pain signals reach the brain23.
Clinical trials showed Journavx reduced pain by about 50% within 48 hours compared to placebo6.
Journavx does not have addictive properties or overdose potential like opioids6.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals will price Journavx at $15.50 per tablet or $420 for a two-week course7.
The approval comes shortly after a $7.4 billion opioid settlement involving Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family7.
Journavx's approval is seen as a potential turning point in pain management, offering an alternative to opioids for the estimated 80 million Americans prescribed pain medication annually4.
Sources:
2. https://www.ophthalmologyadvisor.com/news/fda-approves-first-new-non-opioid-pain-pill-in-decades/
3. https://www.foxbusiness.com/healthcare/vertex-pharmaceuticals-non-opioid-pain-medication-gets-fda-approval
4. https://news.vrtx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/vertex-announces-fda-approval-journavxtm-suzetrigine-first-class
5. https://www.aha.org/news/headline/2025-01-31-fda-approves-first-class-non-opioid-painkiller
6. https://abcnews.go.com/Health/fda-approves-new-type-opioid-pain-medication-1st/story?id=118266291
7. https://www.biospace.com/fda/fda-approves-vertexs-journavx-as-first-new-pain-drug-in-decades