NUR 502 Module 4 New Drug Presentation on Suzetrigine Example

Suzetrigine (Journavx): A Non-Opioid Option for Acute Pain and What Nurses Need to Teach

Student Name

Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Arizona State University

NUR 502: Advanced Health Assessment and Health Promotion

Instructor Name

Month Day, Year

Slide 1: Why This Drug

Suzetrigine (Journavx). FDA approval: January 30, 2025. Indication: moderate to severe acute pain in adults. First drug in a new non-opioid class.

Speaker notes: I chose suzetrigine because acute pain after surgery or injury is often the first exposure many patients have to opioids, and our hospital's patients include many people at high risk of opioid misuse. In January 2025, the FDA approved suzetrigine as the first in a new class of non-opioid analgesics for moderate to severe acute pain in adults (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2025). For nurses, a new class means new teaching: different side effects, different interactions and different expectations about how well it works.

Slide 2: Mechanism of Action

Selective blocker of the NaV1.8 voltage-gated sodium channel. NaV1.8 is found in peripheral pain-sensing neurons. Blocks pain signals before they reach the spinal cord and brain.

Speaker notes: Pain signals travel from peripheral sensory neurons, including those in the dorsal root ganglia, to the spinal cord and brain. These neurons use a sodium channel called NaV1.8 to fire. Suzetrigine selectively blocks NaV1.8 compared with other sodium channels, so it reduces transmission of pain signals at the periphery (Vertex Pharmaceuticals, 2026). Because it does not act on opioid receptors in the brain, it is not expected to cause the euphoria, respiratory depression or addiction associated with opioids. It has an active metabolite that is a weaker NaV1.8 inhibitor.

Slide 3: The Evidence

Two phase 3 randomized trials: after abdominoplasty and after bunionectomy. Suzetrigine reduced pain over 48 hours compared with placebo. Pain relief was similar to hydrocodone with acetaminophen.

Speaker notes: Approval was based on two randomized, double-blind trials in adults with moderate to severe pain after abdominoplasty or bunionectomy, comparing suzetrigine with placebo and with hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen over 48 hours (Bertoch et al., 2025). In both trials, suzetrigine produced a statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in pain compared with placebo, and its pain reduction was similar to the opioid combination. Adverse events were mostly mild to moderate. It is important to tell patients and colleagues honestly that this is not a stronger painkiller than an opioid; its value is comparable relief without opioid risks for some patients.

Slide 4: Dosing and Administration

Starting dose 100 mg on an empty stomach, at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after food. Then 50 mg every 12 hours starting 12 hours later, with or without food. Swallow whole. Not studied beyond 14 days.

Speaker notes: The label calls for a 100 mg starting dose taken on an empty stomach, at least one hour before or two hours after food, though clear liquids such as water, tea or broth are allowed. Twelve hours later, patients take 50 mg every 12 hours, with or without food. Tablets should be swallowed whole. Use should be for the shortest duration consistent with treatment goals, and use beyond 14 days has not been studied (Vertex Pharmaceuticals, 2026). Lower doses are recommended in moderate hepatic impairment, and the drug should be avoided in severe hepatic impairment.

Slide 5: Contraindications and Interactions

Contraindicated with strong CYP3A inhibitors. Reduce dose with moderate CYP3A inhibitors. Avoid CYP3A inducers and grapefruit. Hormonal contraceptives: some may be less effective.

Speaker notes: Suzetrigine is metabolized by CYP3A, so drug interactions are the biggest safety issue. It is contraindicated with strong CYP3A inhibitors, such as certain antifungals and antiretrovirals, and the dose must be reduced with moderate inhibitors. Patients should avoid grapefruit and should not use strong or moderate CYP3A inducers. One interaction is especially important for teaching: patients using hormonal contraceptives that contain progestins other than levonorgestrel and norethindrone should use an additional nonhormonal method or an alternative contraceptive while taking suzetrigine and for 28 days after stopping (Vertex Pharmaceuticals, 2026).

Slide 6: Adverse Effects

Most common: itching, muscle spasms, increased creatine kinase, rash. Use in pregnancy: no human data; animal studies showed harm at higher exposures.

Speaker notes: In clinical trials, the adverse reactions that occurred more often than with placebo were pruritus, muscle spasms, increased creatine phosphokinase and rash (Vertex Pharmaceuticals, 2026). There are no human data on use in pregnancy, and animal studies showed effects on pregnancy at exposures above the maximum human dose, so pregnancy status should be confirmed and discussed. Nurses should ask about itching or muscle cramps at follow-up, since these are the effects patients are most likely to notice.

Slide 7: Patient Education and Adherence

Take the first dose on an empty stomach. Check every new medicine and supplement with a pharmacist. No grapefruit. Use backup birth control if needed. Report rash, severe itching or muscle pain.

Speaker notes: Many of our patients are vulnerable to medication errors: limited health literacy, several prescribers, limited English and limited money. Teaching should be short and concrete. Use teach-back for the empty-stomach first dose and the 12-hour schedule. Give a printed list in the patient's language of what to avoid, including grapefruit and certain medicines. For patients who could become pregnant, explain the contraceptive interaction plainly. Cost is a real barrier for a new brand-name drug, so check coverage before discharge and have a backup plan if it is not affordable, because a prescription that cannot be filled helps no one.

Slide 8: Nursing Takeaways

A new non-opioid class for acute pain. Relief comparable to an opioid combination in trials, without opioid receptor effects. Drug interactions and contraceptive teaching are the key safety points.

Speaker notes: To summarize, suzetrigine offers a non-opioid option for short-term acute pain with relief similar to a common opioid combination in its trials. The nursing priorities are screening for interacting drugs, teaching the dosing schedule, addressing contraception and confirming that patients can afford and obtain the drug. I welcome questions, especially from anyone who has seen it used on their unit.

References

Bertoch, T., D'Aunno, D., McCoun, J., Solanki, D., Taber, L., Urban, J., Oswald, J., Swisher, M. W., Tian, S., Miao, X., Correll, D. J., Negulescu, P., Bozic, C., & Weiner, S. G. (2025). Suzetrigine, a non-opioid NaV1.8 inhibitor for treatment of moderate-to-severe acute pain: Two phase 3 randomized clinical trials. Anesthesiology, 142(6), 1085-1099. https://doi.org/10.1097/ALN.0000000000005460

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2025, January 30). FDA approves novel non-opioid treatment for moderate to severe acute pain [Press release]. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-novel-non-opioid-treatment-moderate-severe-acute-pain

Vertex Pharmaceuticals. (2026). JOURNAVX (suzetrigine) tablets, for oral use: Prescribing information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, DailyMed. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/search.cfm?query=journavx