As the old saying goes, “No pain, no gain.” However, if you ask Big Pharma, the saying should really go, “No pain, lots of gain.”
What happened: VX-548, an experimental painkiller from Vertex Pharmaceuticals, has been proven in test trials to safely and effectively reduce pain, according to the company.
- The drugmaker plans to file for U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval this year. If approved, analysts think it could rake in US$5 billion in sales annually.
Why it matters: Right now, there are only a few types of drugs for severe pain, and no option is that great. Anti-inflammatories, like ibuprofen, aren’t very effective. Opioids are effective, but highly addictive. VX-548 promises to be another option that’s effective and non-addictive.
- It walks this fine line by targeting nerves outside the brain. Opioids, which target nerves inside the brain, cause side effects that can lead to dependence.
- Opioid addiction occurs because it fights pain by releasing feel-good chemicals in your brain. By stopping pain signals early, VX-548 skips meddling with your noggin entirely.
Zoom out: Opioids took off in Canada in the late ’90s, and by the mid-2010s, the country was the top consumer globally besides the U.S. The prescription craze turned into an epidemic, with some addicted users turning to street drugs like fentanyl when their prescriptions ran out.
- Since 2016, when the government began tracking toxic drug deaths, over 40,000 Canadians have died of opioid-related deaths, with another ~39,000 hospitalized.
- Last year in B.C. — where the crisis has been the most critical — around 100,000 people had an opioid disorder, and a record 2,511 died of toxic drug deaths.
Bottom line: Doctors still prescribe plenty of opioids despite the risks. While VX-548 is still a while away from FDA approval (which means it could be an eternity before a Health Canada OK) and isn’t as effective as opioids in some cases, it could offer a safer alternative.—QH