Vertex touts what it says is an effective nonaddictive post-surgical painkiller (Copy)

Regions of the cerebral cortex associated with pain

Edited from a New England Council report:

“Boston-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals recently announced that its new experimental painkiller is as effective as an opioid when treating acute, post-surgical pain. Vertex claims that this new drug carries no risk of addiction, unlike with opioids.  

“The painkiller, currently called VX-548, is set to be sent to the FDA for approval by mid-year. Though the drug has yet to outperform others when treating pain, that VX-548 is equally effective as some opioids without the risk of addiction could prove to be groundbreaking. Opioids have caused a decades-long endemic in the US, with almost 83,000 people in the U.S. dying from opioid overdoses in 2022 alone. Despite the highly addictive nature of these drugs, they are still commonly prescribed by doctors for post-surgical pain. If approved, VX-548 could mark a new age of pain treatment and a possible end to the opioid crisis.  

“‘We are very pleased with the results from the VX-548 pivotal program, which demonstrate a compelling and consistent combination of efficacy and safety across multiple acute pain conditions and settings,’ Reshma Kewalramani, Vertex’s chief executive and president, said.’’

This book examines the history of the Sackler family, including the founding of Purdue Pharma, and the family's central role in the opioid epidemic. The book followed Keefe's 2017 article on the Sackler family in The New Yorker, titled “The Family That Built an Empire of Pain.’’