MedicalResearch.com Interview with a VERTEX Spokesperson discussing suzetrigine (JOURNAVX®), a first-in-class non-opioid pain signal inhibitor, and new Phase 4 data presented at the 2026 Annual Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine meeting.

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: There is a critical need for effective, safe non-opioid analgesics to help manage pain and reduce reliance on opioids. Despite significant safety and tolerability concerns such as addiction, opioid use disorder (OUD) and gastrointestinal side effects, opioids remain a common approach for managing moderate-to-severe acute pain. Our recent phase 4, single-arm study assessing suzetrigine in patients who underwent arthroscopic orthopedic procedures or laparoscopic abdominal or gynecological procedures highlighted the transformative potential for suzetrigine to be used as part of an opioid-free multimodal therapy for patients with moderate-to-severe acute pain. JOURNAVX® (suzetrigine) is a first-in-class, prescription non-opioid pain signal inhibitor for the treatment of moderate-to-severe acute pain, including postoperative pain, in adults. It works by selectively inhibiting the NaV1.8 sodium channel on peripheral nociceptors and, therefore, is not believed to have the addiction potential and tolerability issues associated with centrally acting opioids.