By Shira Levy
Boston University News Service
The FDA approved a groundbreaking new pain reliever in January, marking the first new class of pain medication in years.
The drug, called Suzetrigine, marketed as Journavx, is a non-opioid alternative that targets the voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.8, a key player in transmitting pain signals. By binding to this channel, Suzetrigine stabilizes it and ultimately prevents pain transmission.
Think of your nerves like electrical wires that carry pain messages to your brain. When in pain, the wires send jolting shocks. Now, imagine NaV1.8 as the door that lets these shocks continue through your body. Suzetrigine acts as a lock on the door that stops the NaV1.8 from entering. Now, these pain messages don’t get to your brain.
The development of Suzetrigine was rooted in genetic studies of individuals with a rare condition that makes them unresponsive to pain. This condition is linked to a mutation in NaV1.8. Understanding this genetic anomaly led researchers to explore sodium channel inhibitors as a potential solution for pain management. Through this research, they discovered Suzetrigine.
Suzetrigine represents a major advancement. Unlike opioids, which come with the risk of addiction, this new drug offers a safer, non-addictive alternative. The approval of Suzetrigine not only provides hope for those suffering from chronic pain but also begins the development of other sodium channel inhibitors as potential pain treatments. It underscores the promise of precision medicine in creating pain management strategies for patients.
This breakthrough is especially significant given the ongoing opioid crisis. The statistics on opioid addiction are extreme. According to the American Medical Association, between 3%-19% of individuals prescribed opioids for pain relief will develop an addiction. Additionally, many who misuse prescription opioids transition to heroin, as it’s often more accessible.
With opioids a factor in 71.76% of overdose deaths and killing more than three times as many people as cocaine, the approval of Suzetrigine represents a potential turning point in combating this crisis.
Initial reviews from institutions like the Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit medical center, have been largely positive, with no major safety concerns reported. However as with any medication, there are some side effects, including itching, muscle spasms and rashes. Patients taking Journavx must also be cautious about potential drug interactions, particularly with medications that inhibit the liver enzyme CYP3A.
Kristen Bushell, a senior neuroscience lecturer at Boston University, introduced Suzetrigine to her students as a real-world example of the voltage-gated sodium channels they studied in class. She emphasized the drug’s potential to minimize opioid addiction. Fellow lecturer John Tullai echoed this excitement, noting how incredible it would be to have an effective pain reliever that doesn’t act as a gateway to more dangerous drugs.
The approval of Suzetrigine is more than just another drug hitting the market, it represents progress in medical science, a potential safeguard against opioid addiction and a sign of hope for those in need of effective and non-addictive pain relief. Only time will tell how impactful this new medication will be, but its approval is undoubtedly a step in the right direction for the future of pain management.
