Vertex’s drug works in a completely different way, by blocking the pain signal from traveling to the brain in the first place. The signal is triggered by sodium molecules rushing into the nerve ending, sending the message onward to the brain.
Suzetrigine is a sodium channel blocker, the same type of drug as lidocaine. Lidocaine, a local anesthetic, works by blocking all sodium channels in the area it’s applied to — for example, the gums during dental work. A sodium channel blocker taken as a pill, such as suzetrigine, must be much more precise, as sodium channels are found throughout the body and are critical for heart and brain function. Suzetrigine blocks nerve pulses from just one sodium channel, called NaV1.8, from reaching the brain and being interpreted as pain.
“This is the first time we have had something that targets a specific sodium channel,” said Rosenquist, who wasn't involved with the research on the drug.
The process also doesn’t stimulate opioid receptors or produce any feelings of euphoria, he said.
“Right now all the evidence suggests this has no addiction potential at all,” Rosenquist said. “It’s no different than Tylenol or ibuprofen in terms of addiction potential.”
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