Tag Archives: @NEJM

NEJM: Despite Removal of DEA Waiver Requirement, Buprenorphine Still Widely Underprescribed for Opioid Addiction

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PainRelief.com Interview with:
Kao-Ping Chua, MD, PhD|
Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research Center
Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School
Ann Arbor MI 48109

Kao-Ping-Chua

PainRelief.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Buprenorphine is one of 3 FDA-approved medications to treat opioid addiction. It is the only one of the 3 that can be prescribed during office visits. Although buprenorphine is highly effective in treating opioid addiction, it is widely underused. Addressing this underuse is a key step towards slowing the epidemic of U.S. opioid overdose deaths.

In 2000, the federal government allowed clinicians to prescribe buprenorphine if they obtained a waiver from the Drug Enforcement Administration. Clinicians have cited the waiver requirement as a key barrier to buprenorphine prescribing. In part because of this, the government eliminated this requirement on January 12, 2023.

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NEJM: Vertex Pharma Study Demonstrates Potential for First-in-Class Non-Opioid Treatment For Moderate to Severe Acute Pain

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PainRelief.com Interview with:
Vertex Pharma Company Spokesperson

PainRelief.com: What is the background for this study? How does VX-548 work?

Response: VX-548 is an oral, selective NaV1.8 inhibitor that is highly selective for NaV1.8 relative to other NaV channels. NaV1.8 is a voltage-gated sodium channel that plays a critical role in pain signaling in the peripheral nervous system. NaV1.8 is a genetically validated target for the treatment of pain, and Vertex has previously demonstrated clinical proof-of-concept with a small molecule investigational treatment targeting NaV1.8 in multiple pain indications including acute pain, neuropathic pain and musculoskeletal pain.

 Vertex’s approach is to selectively inhibit NaV1.8 using small molecules with the objective of creating a new class of medicines that have the potential to provide superior relief of pain without the limitations of opioids, including their addictive potential. VX-548 is the most advanced NaV1.8 inhibitor in Vertex’s program.

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