FDA Approves drug to treat pain without opioid effects

[BugsJustFindMe]

There's no reason for this to be a NYT link.

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-appr...

[dewitt]

> "There's no reason for this to be a NYT link."

I respectfully disagree. The NYT paid the author, Gina Kolata, to research and write the story, which contains more details than just the press release alone, then used their platform to made the news widely available and thus helped people like me discover it.

As cynical as one may be about the state of contemporary journalism, I'd say that short articles like this are still something good that comes out of newspapers in 2025, and I hope it doesn't go away just yet.

[photochemsyn]

(2024) "Pharmacology and Mechanism of Action of Suzetrigine, a Potent and Selective NaV1.8 Pain Signal Inhibitor for the Treatment of Moderate to Severe Pain" (pdf)

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s40122-024-006...

[eviks]

There is at least one: in its quest to promote the agency they forgot to list the most basic issue that makes this approval noteworthy - addiction. Also there is no price and a bunch of other relevant info

[unethical_ban]

There is a lot more information and background for the layperson in the NYT article. But free sources should also be included for those without a subscription.

[el_duderino]

https://archive.is/SIV8R

[instagib]

>>suzetrigine helped those with diabetic neuropathy, but was no better than placebo in those with pinched spinal nerves. (…) While analysts and researchers deemed the results disappointing in patients with pinched nerves in their spines, the company decided to proceed because there are no approved drugs for the painful condition, and because the drug is safe and “the mechanism of action is so clearly validated.”

“No one has ever helped these four million people,” he said. <<

Aside from routinely burning the nerves, routine epidural injections, narcotics, or alcohol.

Extremely limited relief from expensive acupuncture, massage, TENS, stretching, etc.

[bustling-noose]

How does one give someone a placebo after surgery for clinical trials ? Wouldn’t that cause a lot of pain ? I know science and research and trials and all etc etc, but pain post surgery is quite a lot that placebo alone would be really bad for the patient.

[jjeaff]

one would assume that it was tested on minor surgeries.

[oliwarner]

Note that there is a fairly long list of CYP3A4 inhibitors that this is contraindicated against. I know nothing is, but this won't be for everyone.

[luafox]

Super exciting development in the world of medicine, but the price tag is really steep. Starting at US$15.50 per pill, and you're supposed to take two pills at a time. Many will opt for cheaper options.

Disclaimer: I'm Canadian with extended insurance, so I have little perspective on drug prices.

[ArlenBales]

This is to treat acute pain, probably mostly post-op as alternative to opioids. At most you'll probably get a week's worth of pills from your doc post-op, and I would say the cost is worth it if it works better than NSAIDs and it's not addictive.

[unethical_ban]

If it means staying away from addiction, I'll pay it. Opiods would scare me if I ever needed that level of pain treatment.

[bookofjoe]

My Armodafinil Rx cost $35/pill — not covered by insurance.

[montroser]

This sounds fantastic. It is also worth remembering they also told us oxycodone was non habit forming. But hey, let's be cautiously optimistic.

[loloquwowndueo]

Hey originally they said cocaine was not addictive :)

[rufus_foreman]

>> drug to treat pain without opioid effects

From my brief experience with junkies, they will treat this as a challenge.