Washington, DC: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new type of non-opioid painkiller, Suzetrigine, marketed under the brand name Journavx.
Designed for short-term pain relief in adults, the drug works by blocking pain signals before they reach the brain, offering an alternative to opioids for moderate to severe pain management.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer, claims that Journavx provides effective relief without the addictive potential of opioids. The FDA called its approval a significant milestone in acute pain management, citing clinical trials that demonstrated its ability to reduce pain after surgery.
The US has long struggled with an opioid addiction crisis. In 2017, then-President Donald Trump declared the epidemic a public health emergency, calling it a “national shame.”
Opioids work by stimulating receptors in the brain, not only blocking pain signals but also triggering dopamine release, which leads to Euphoria and addiction.
Today, FDA approved a first-in-class non-opioid analgesic, to treat moderate to severe acute pain in adults. https://t.co/ALoSQoj0JL pic.twitter.com/6XRmhS2Zhr
— U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) January 30, 2025
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 82,000 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2022.
Now in his second term, President Trump has pledged to tackle the crisis by imposing 25% border taxes on imports from Canada and Mexico, citing large amounts of fentanyl—an extremely potent synthetic opioid—entering the US. He has also threatened tariffs on China, blaming the country for fentanyl exports.
Vertex estimates that nearly 10% of patients prescribed opioids for acute pain develop prolonged use. The company says Journavx is the first drug in a new class of pain medications to receive FDA approval in more than 20 years.
Vertex CEO Reshma Kewalramani described the approval as a “historic milestone” for the 80 million Americans prescribed medicine for moderate-to-severe acute pain annually.
Journavx will be priced at $15.50 (£12.50) per capsule, though its safety and effectiveness in children remain unknown.
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