PainRelief.com Interview with:
Vertex Spokesperson
PainRelief.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: This study had two primary aims: (1) to provide a contemporary estimate of the societal costs of the opioid epidemic, and (2) to quantify the portion of the opioid epidemic attributable to new prescription opioids for acute pain from 2025 onwards and evaluate the potential impact of an effective non-opioid pain medication for acute pain in reducing the burden associated with the US opioid epidemic.
The United States continues to grapple with a devastating opioid epidemic. Despite growing awareness of long-term opioid risks, nearly 40 million Americans continue to receive prescription opioids for acute pain each year, and even short-term use can lead to misuse, opioid use disorder (OUD), or overdose. In 2022 alone, nearly 108,000 people died from drug overdoses — about 82,000 (~76%) involving opioids. Overall, it is estimated that the opioid epidemic will cost ~$370B in 2025 – more than double the commonly cited 2018 estimate of $180B.
PainRelief.com: What are the main findings?
Response: The study projects that over the next 15-years, from 2025 to 2039, newly prescribed opioids for acute pain alone will lead to over 1 million new OUD cases, more than 36,000 overdose deaths, and $272 billion in total costs.
However, replacing just 10–25% of these opioid prescriptions with an effective nonopioid treatment beginning in 2025 could prevent 104,000–260,000 OUD cases and 3,600–8,900 overdose deaths, and save $27–68 billion over 15 years – or ~$2-5 billion per year. These findings underscore the profound public health impact of even modest shifts in prescribing behavior.
PainRelief.com: Would you describe the nonopioid treatment(s)?
Response: The model did not simulate a specific nonopioid drug, but rather used a generalized, effective nonopioid treatment for acute pain to estimate impact. The analysis assumed such a treatment could replace 10–25% of new opioid prescriptions for acute pain starting in 2025.
While not modeled specifically, it is worth noting that the FDA recently approved a new nonopioid medication for moderate-to-severe acute pain called JOURNAVXTM (suzetrigine) that is now commercially available for adults. JOURNAVX is the first and only nonopioid oral pain signal inhibitor selective for NaV1.8. It combines effective pain relief with a favorable safety profile, and it is non-addictive.
It works by blocking the NaV1.8 channel, which has long been considered the holy grail of drug discovery in pain because it’s known to be directly involved in the transmission of pain signals and is only found in the periphery — not in the brain. Opioids act in the central nervous system to alter the perception of pain by activating the brain’s reward system, which is why they can cause opioid misuse, addiction, and opioid use disorder.
PainRelief.com: What should readers take away from your report?
Response: Acute pain management plays a larger-than-recognized role in the opioid crisis. The findings suggest that even incremental reductions in opioid prescriptions — particularly by replacing a portion of acute pain prescriptions with effective nonopioid options — could meaningfully reduce opioid-related harm and economic burden. Nonopioid options like JOURNAVX offer non-addictive pathways to treat acute pain — potentially helping shift clinical practice toward safe standards, especially when considered alongside broader public health strategies.
PainRelief.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Response: Future studies should explore real-world adoptions of nonopioid treatments — including prescriber behavior, patient outcomes, and barriers to adoption. Evaluating how these options perform across different populations and care settings could further clarify their role in patient outcomes and society overall.
PainRelief.com: Is there anything else you would like to add? Any disclosures?
Response: This research builds on previously published models and offers a contemporary estimate of the opioid epidemic’s trajectory, reflecting factors like increased fentanyl use, post-COVID changes in opioid access and rising costs related to treated OUD. While models have limitations and can’t predict the future with certainty, they are a valuable tool for understanding potential outcomes of different interventions. The study was funded by Vertex Pharmaceuticals.
Citation:
American Association of Pain Medicine AAPM2025 poster:
Impact of Opioids Prescribed for Acute Pain Management on the Societal Burden of the US Opioid Epidemic and the Potential Impact of an Effective Non-Opioid Treatment for Acute Pain
April 4 2025 Presenter Sushanth Jeyakumar
More information:
-Yale Medicine (2025). “FDA Approves Non-Opioid Pain Medication Suzetrigine (Journavx™)”
-NeurologyLive (2025). “FDA Approves Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ Suzetrigine for Acute Pain Management”
The information on PainRelief.com is provided for educational purposes only, and is in no way intended to diagnose, cure, or treat any medical or other condition. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health and ask your doctor any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. In addition to all other limitations and disclaimers in this agreement, service provider and its third party providers disclaim any liability or loss in connection with the content provided on this website.
Last Updated on April 21, 2025 by PainRelief.com