Suzetrigine
Non-opioid analgesic drug From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Suzetrigine, sold under the brand name Journavx, is a medication used for pain management.[1][2] It is a non-opioid, small-molecule analgesic that works as a selective inhibitor of Nav1.8-dependent pain-signaling pathways in the peripheral nervous system.[3][4] It is not addictive. Suzetrigine is taken by mouth.[1]
| |
 | |
| Clinical data | |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /suˈzɛtrɪdʒiːn/ soo-ZE-tri-jeen |
| Trade names | Journavx |
| Other names | VX-548 |
| AHFS/Drugs.com | Journavx |
| License data |
|
| Routes of administration | By mouth |
| Drug class | Nav1.8 sodium channel blocker; Analgesic |
| ATC code |
|
| Legal status | |
| Legal status | |
| Identifiers | |
| |
| CAS Number | |
| PubChem CID | |
| DrugBank | |
| ChemSpider | |
| UNII | |
| KEGG | |
| ChEMBL | |
| Chemical and physical data | |
| Formula | C21H20F5N3O4 |
| Molar mass | 473.400 g·mol−1 |
| 3D model (JSmol) | |
| |
| |
The most common adverse reactions include itching, muscle spasms, increased blood level of creatine kinase, and rash.[1][2]
Suzetrigine was developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals.[5] It was approved for medical use in the United States in January 2025.[2][6] Suzetrigine is the first medication to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in this class of medicines.[2]
Medical uses
Suzetrigine is indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe acute pain in adults.[1][2]
Efficacy
In clinical studies conducted through 2024, suzetrigine reduced pain typically from seven to four on the standard numerical scale used to rate pain.[7][8] This pain relief matched a combination of hydrocodone and paracetamol (acetaminophen) (5 mg of hydrocodone bitartrate and 325 mg of acetaminophen).[8][9]
Suzetrigine suppresses pain at the same level as opioids, but without the risks of addiction, sedation, or overdose.[10]
The efficacy of suzetrigine was evaluated in two randomized, double-blind, placebo- and active-controlled trials of acute surgical pain, one following abdominoplasty and the other following bunionectomy.[2] Both trials found that suzetrigine reduced pain more effectively than placebo.[2]
Contraindications
Concomitant use of suzetrigine with strong CYP3A inhibitors is contraindicated.[1][2]
Adverse effects
Common adverse effects of suzetrigine may include itching, rash, muscle spasms, and increased levels of creatine kinase.[2] Mild side effects may include nausea, constipation, headache, and dizziness.[7][8] As of 2024,[update] long-term safety and side effects remain undetermined.[8]
In preliminary research, suzetrigine had no serious neurological, behavioral, or cardiovascular effects.[3]
Interactions
Consuming grapefruit while using suzetrigine may cause an adverse grapefruit–drug interaction.[1][2]
Mechanism of action
Suzetrigine operates on peripheral nerves, avoiding the addictive potential of opioids which affect the central nervous system.[3][4][7] Unlike opioid medications, which reduce pain signals in the brain, suzetrigine works by closing sodium channels in peripheral nerves, inhibiting pain-signaling nerves from transmitting painful sensations to the brain.[3][4][7]
In pharmacological studies, suzetrigine selectively inhibited Nav1.8 channels, but not other voltage-gated sodium channels, and bound to a unique site on these sodium channels with a novel allosteric mechanism, by binding to the channel's second voltage sensing domain, thereby stabilizing the closed state, causing tonic inhibition. It exerts its action on dorsal root ganglion.[3]
History
Vertex Pharmaceuticals announced in January 2024 that suzetrigine had successfully met several endpoints in its Phase III clinical trials.[5] The company announced in July 2024 that the FDA had accepted a new drug application for suzetrigine.[11] The FDA granted the application for suzetrigine priority review, fast track, and breakthrough therapy designations.[2][11] In January 2025, the FDA granted approval of Journavx to Vertex Pharmaceuticals, thereby becoming the first non-opioid pain medication to be approved by the FDA in two decades.[2][10]
Society and culture
Legal status
Suzetrigine was approved for medical use in the United States in January 2025.[2]
Names
Suzetrigine is the international nonproprietary name.[12]
References
Further reading
External links
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.