The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved a new type of nonopioid painkiller from Vertex Pharmaceuticals. The drug, Journavx, or suzetrigine, was approved to treat moderate to severe acute, or short-term, pain in adults. Experts say the drug, which is billed as nonaddictive, could reduce the number of opioids patients are prescribed after surgery or be used by patients who can’t take other pain medications — though several told NBC News they would like to see more research.
In a statement, Dr. Jacqueline Corrigan-Curay, the acting director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, called the approval “an important public health milestone in acute pain management.” Michael Schatman, a clinical instructor in the department of anesthesiology, perioperative care and pain medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, said: “I think in acute pain this drug has great promise.
This is something that could be opioid-sparing, and we need more tools in our armory for pain.” Although the number of patients going home from surgery with opioids has declined in recent years, many patients still leave the hospital with prescriptions. Despite the risks , opioids are extremely effective at treating pain, which has left doctors and patients with few options when acetaminophen (Tylenol) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, aren’t enough.
“We know from CDC data that anyone who gets exposed to opioids has the potential to have dependen.
