What happened
The Food and Drug Administration Thursday approved a new class of pain pill that is not addictive like opioids. Suzetrigine, being sold as Journavx by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, is the first new pharmaceutical treatment for pain to win FDA approval in more than 20 years.
Who said what
Opioids work by binding to receptors in the brain that receive pain signals from nerves around the body, but "those chemical interactions also give rise to opioids' addictive effects," The Associated Press said. But while prescription opioids have helped fuel an epidemic of addiction and overdoses, suzetrigine "works differently," intercepting pain signals before they reach the brain.
In two clinical trials submitted by Vertex, suzetrigine was more effective than a placebo at treating short-term pain in people recovering from stomach and foot surgery, and on par with a combined acetaminophen-hydrocodone pill, like Vicodin.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What next?
Journavx was approved to treat acute pain in adults. But at a list price of $15.50 a pill, it "faces some hurdles in winning over physicians, hospitals and insurance companies," The Washington Post said. The new painkiller is promising because "there are a number of people who, once they have an opioid, want an opioid constantly," University of Washington pain expert Dr. John Loeser said to The New York Times. But acetaminophen-opioid pills are "dirt cheap."
-
Political cartoons for October 26Cartoons Sunday’s editorial cartoons include Young Republicans group chat, Louvre robbery, and more
-
Why Britain is struggling to stop the ransomware cyberattacksThe Explainer New business models have greatly lowered barriers to entry for criminal hackers
-
Greene’s rebellion: a Maga hardliner turns against TrumpIn the Spotlight The Georgia congresswoman’s independent streak has ‘not gone unnoticed’ by the president
-
Climate change is getting under our skinUnder the radar Skin conditions are worsening because of warming temperatures
-
Is this the end of ultraprocessed foods?Today's Big Question California law and the MAHA movement are on the same track
-
Bluetoothing: the phenomenon driving HIV spike in FijiUnder the Radar ‘Blood-swapping’ between drug users fuelling growing health crisis on Pacific island
-
Can TrumpRx really lower drug prices?Today’s Big Question Pfizer’s deal with Trump sent drugmaker stocks higher
-
FDA OKs generic abortion pill, riling the rightSpeed Read The drug in question is a generic version of mifepristone, used to carry out two-thirds of US abortions
-
The new Stratus Covid strain – and why it’s on the riseThe Explainer ‘No evidence’ new variant is more dangerous or that vaccines won’t work against it, say UK health experts
-
‘Nightmare bacteria’ are rapidly spreadingUnder the radar The infections are largely resistant to antibiotics
-
Kissing bug disease has a growing presence in the USThe explainer The disease has yielded a steady stream of cases in the last 10 years
