FDA approves first in class non opioid painkiller

The Food and Drug Administration Jan. 30 announced it approved Journavx (suzetrigine) oral tablets, a first-in-class non-opioid drug, to treat moderate to severe acute pain in adults. The drug is manufactured by Vertex Pharmaceuticals. According to the FDA, Journavx reduces pain by targeting a pain-signaling pathway involving sodium channels in the peripheral nervous system before pain signals reach the brain.