US FDA approves suzetrigne: Why the non-opioid painkiller may be a game changer

Prescription opioids are primarily used for pain relief. They do so by getting attached to opioid receptors in the brain cells to release signals that block the perception of pain, and boost the feelings of pleasure or euphoria.

Although opioids have several benefits and are extremely effective as painkillers, they can be quite addictive.

“The feelings of pleasure that result from taking an opioid can also make people want to continue experiencing those feelings, which can contribute to psychological dependence on the drugs,” according to a report in the BBC.

How does suzetrigine work?

Pain is essentially a signal from one’s body to the brain that something potentially harmful has happened or is happening to the body. It is meant to prompt a reaction where one avoids further damage.

Dr Sergio Bergese, an anesthesiologist at Stony Brook University (New York), told CNN that several body parts are involved in the sensation of pain.

First are specialised nerve endings or ‘nocireceptors’ which are widely distributed across the body. Any tissue damage activates these receptors which send electrical signals through the spinal cord to the brain, which then interprets these as pain.

Unlike opioids, which numb the sensation of pain in the brain, suzetrigine works by targeting pain signals before they reach the brain. “This drug, what it is doing is interrupting that path, so even though the tissue injury exists, the brain does not know,” Bergese told CNN.

Since suzetrigine does not produce any sensation of pleasure or euphoria, experts believe that the drug could not create addiction or dependence among users.

Suzetrigine is a 50-milligram prescription pill that is consumed every 12 hours after a larger starter dose. The pill is given in two dosages. In trials, participants got an initial dose of 100 milligrams, followed by 50 milligrams every 12 hours.

Why is this significant?

Every year, tens of thousands of Americans die from opioid use. Ther were 82,000 opioid-involved overdose deaths in 2022, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The US gets 30 times more opioid pain relief medication than it needs, the BBC report said.

In 2017, US President Donald Trump called the opioid crisis a “national shame”, and went on to declare a public health emergency. Now in his second term, he has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico if they fail to stop the large amounts of fentanyl crossing into the US.

Trump has also threatened China with tariffs for its exports of fentanyl.