The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new pain medication that could take the place of opioids for those experiencing moderate to severe acute pain.
The drug is Journavx, or the generic name suzetrigine, in a 50-milligram oral tablet.
The agency said it is the “first-in-class non-opioid analgesic to treat moderate to severe acute pain in adults.”
Acute pain means short-term pain from a tissue injury caused by trauma or surgery and is often treated with analgesics that could contain opioids.
But the FDA said it had been looking for a non-opioid option to help prevent overdoses.
“A new non-opioid analgesic therapeutic class for acute pain offers an opportunity to mitigate certain risks associated with using an opioid for pain and provides patients with another treatment option. This action and the agency’s designations to expedite the drug’s development and review underscore FDA’s commitment to approving safe and effective alternatives to opioids for pain management,” Dr. Jacqueline Corrigan-Curay, FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research acting director, said in a news release.
The drug was tested in two randomized, double-blind, placebo- and active-controlled trials. It was given to people who had acute surgical pain from either abdominoplasty, also known as a tummy tuck, or bunion surgery.
Journavx had a couple of side effects including itching, muscle spasms and rash. it was also found that when taking Journavx, patients should avoid grapefruit.
Journavx is produced by Vertex Pharmaceuticals.