FDA approval of non-opioid pain drug is ‘a major breakthrough,’ expert says
Doctor available to comment on the approval’s significance and the future of non-opioid treatments
CHICAGO --- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved on Thursday evening a new pain medication that targets sodium channels involved in pain signaling. It offers an alternative to opioid medications, which carry the risk of dependence and addiction.
The new drug, suzetrigine, is a prescription pill that will be sold under the brand name Journavx. It is the first innovative pain treatment to be approved in over two decades.
“This is a major breakthrough for acute pain,” said Dr. Steven Cohen, professor of anesthesiology and pain medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a Northwestern Medicine physician.
“Untreated or poorly managed acute pain — and the reliance on high doses of opioids to control it — can lead to addiction and long-term pain, including persistent post-surgical pain,” he said.
Suzetrigine works by blocking a specific sodium channel, Nav1.8, that is involved in both acute inflammatory pain — such as pain after surgery — and neuropathic pain caused by disease or injury affecting the nervous system.
“The advantage of suzetrigine is not its efficacy, but rather its side effect profile, including the absence of addiction potential,” said Dr. Cohen. “That could translate to the drug being more effective, though that remains to be studied.”
The drug’s approval does not extend to chronic pain treatment. Still, Dr. Cohen sees the breakthrough as a positive step for the future of pain management.
“The approval will hopefully open the door for more non-opioid treatments for both acute and chronic pain, including those that target other sodium channels.”
Dr. Steven Cohen is available to speak with the media today on the significance of this approval and the future of non-opioid pain treatments.
Contact Ben Schamisso at ben.schamisso@northwestern.edu to arrange an interview.