Recent FDA approval of suzetrigine, representing the first new class of pain medication in more than 20 years, is generating excitement among workers’ compensation professionals who have long been looking for a viable alternative to opioids.
Suzetrigine is an oral sodium channel blocker sold and marketed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals under the brand name Journavx. It works by selectively targeting the body’s Nav1.8 sodium channel that transmits pain signals to the brain but is not expressed in that area, thus avoiding “the reward center,” which can lead to addiction. As a result, suzetrigine has the potential