U.S. officials have approved a new type of pain drug designed to eliminate the risks of addiction and overdose associated with opioids.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved JOURNAVX™ (suzetrigine), an oral, non-opioid, highly selective NaV1.8 pain signal inhibitor for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe acute pain.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals on Thursday won approval from the Food and Drug Administration for a non-opioid pain drug, clearing the way for the rollout of a product that has simultaneously sparked high hopes and mixed opinions among physicians and market analysts.

The Vertex drug is a milestone after a long history of unsuccessful efforts to develop painkillers without the addictive potential of opioids.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (VRTX) has secured FDA approval for Suzetrigine, an oral, non-opioid, highly selective NaV1.8 pain signal

Despite high demand for an option like Journavx, doctors fear the drug’s price could be a major hangup for insurers, potentially limiting patients’ ability to access it.

This milestone marks a breakthrough after unsuccessful attempts to develop painkillers without the addictive potential of opioids.

The greenlight for Journavx (suzetrigine), which comes on the heels of a $7.4 billion opioid settlement, could spark momentum in the fledgling non-opioid pain space.

The gene-editing treatment will be available to certain patients with sickle cell disease in England as Vertex commits to collecting additional data.

U.S. officials have approved a new type of pain drug designed to eliminate the risks of addiction and overdose associated with opioids.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday approved a new type of prescription pain medication for adults to treat moderate to severe acute pain. The drug, called Journavx (suzetrigine)