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 drug, Journavx, was approved for the twice-daily treatment of moderate to severe acute pain, such as the sort of short-lived but sharp aches that might follow a bike accident or an operation. The FDA’s decision was based on a pair of late-stage trials which found that patients undergoing tummy tuck or bunion surgery had significantly less pain after taking the drug than did those who took a placebo. These trials also found that the medicine was generally safe, with fewer adverse events among those on Journavx than in the placebo group.
Journavx has been priced at $31 a day. Market analysts have forecasted the drug could bring in $1.5 billion in annual revenue by 2030. That’s not including sales for chronic pain, where there’s a larger market opportunity and where Vertex is also running trials.
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