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Pronunciation | /suˈzɛtrɪdʒiːn/ soo-ZE-tri-jeen |
Trade names | Journavx |
Other names | VX-548 |
AHFS/Drugs.com | Journavx |
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Routes of administration | By mouth |
Drug class | Nav1.8 sodium channel blocker; Analgesic |
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Chemical and physical data | |
Formula | C21H20F5N3O4 |
Molar mass | 473.400 g·mol−1 |
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Suzetrigine, sold under the brand name Journavx, is a medication used for the management of pain. [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] avoiding the addictive potential of opioids. Suzetrigine is taken by mouth. [1]
The most common adverse reactions include itching, muscle spasms, increased blood level of creatine kinase, and rash. [1] [2]
It was developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, [5] and 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 new class of pain management medicines. [2]
Suzetrigine is indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe acute pain in adults. [1] [2]
When people used suzetrigine in clinical studies conducted through 2024, there was a reduction in pain typically from seven to four on the standard numerical scale used to rate pain. [7] [8] Suzetrigine provided pain relief equal to a combination of hydrocodone and paracetamol (acetaminophen). [8] [9]
Suzetrigine suppresses pain at the same level as an opioid, but without the risks of addiction, sedation, or overdose. [10] An alternative to opioids, it is the first pain medication to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration in two decades. [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 a placebo. [2]
Concomitant use of suzetrigine with strong CYP3A inhibitors is contraindicated. [1] [2]
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]
Consuming grapefruit while using suzetrigine may cause an adverse grapefruit–drug interaction. [1] [2]
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. [3]
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. [2]
Suzetrigine was approved for medical use in the United States in January 2025. [2]
Suzetrigine is the international nonproprietary name. [12]