New Painkiller May Be 'Landmark Development'

The FDA is expected to grant approval to a new pain medication with big potential—mainly because it's a non-opioid and is billed as non-addictive. Details:

• The drug: It's called suzetrigine and is made by Vertex Pharmaceuticals of Boston, reports the Washington Post. The FDA may approve its application before the end of the month to treat short-term, or acute, pain.
• Addiction: If the drug, known as a "selective sodium channel inhibitor," can indeed stop pain without posing a risk of addiction, it would be "landmark development in a space that hasn't seen innovation in decades," per Politico. A post at Fierce Pharma cites "blockbuster expectations."

• Big question: The drug would likely be a big player in the industry if approved for short-term pain, but its impact would be much greater if it is eventually approved to treat long-term, or chronic, pain. The jury is very much out on that. Last month, suzetrigine failed a big test on that front when it did not outperform a placebo in patients with sciatica, per the Post and Fierce Pharma.
• Skepticism: The coverage of the drug notes that opioids were similarly marketed as non-addictive when they first emerged, and testing of suzetrigine has been relatively short-term so far. The Post notes "that harmful side effects from a first-of-its-kind drug can emerge even after rigorous review by the FDA."

(More pain management stories.)