The primary new non-opioid for extreme acute ache has been in the marketplace for a number of months. But it surely’s much more costly than opioids, and many individuals cannot get it due to spotty insurance coverage protection.
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
A brand new ache drugs presents one other choice to sufferers who’re apprehensive about habit. It is not an opioid, and it is the primary actually new painkiller permitted by the Meals and Drug Administration in additional than 20 years. However NPR prescription drugs correspondent Sydney Lupkin stories the drug is pricey and many individuals cannot get it but.
SYDNEY LUPKIN, BYLINE: Jerry Abrams used to run marathons, however 20 years of degenerative backbone illness have left him unable to run, and he is grieving.
JERRY ABRAMS: It is the lack of a beloved one. It is that buddy who’s been with you day by day you wanted him. You understand, having that taken away from you due to ache is the toughest factor of all.
LUPKIN: The fixed ache in his decrease again makes it unimaginable. Typically he cannot get away from bed. He is taken opioids, however he says he needs to be cautious as a result of they’re addictive. And he is additionally apprehensive about increase a tolerance to them.
ABRAMS: I do not ever need to be in a state of affairs the place I would like surgical procedure and have to get better, and opioid remedy now not does what it must do.
LUPKIN: The Meals and Drug Administration permitted a brand new non-opioid drug earlier this yr. It is a tablet known as JOURNAVX, and it is for extreme acute ache. JOURNAVX works by blocking ache indicators from the place somebody hurts. Abrams’ physician needed him to strive it, however as a result of his ache is continual and never included within the FDA approval, his insurance coverage would not cowl it. It was studied in sufferers after surgical procedure, however insurance coverage protection has been gradual. Dr. Jessica Burgess is a surgeon at Jap Virginia Medical Faculty at Previous Dominion College in Norfolk, Virginia.
JESSICA BURGESS: I feel, general, surgeons have been very excited concerning the choice to have a non-opioid ache drugs for our sufferers. Sadly, I’ve but to fulfill a surgeon that is been capable of prescribe it.
LUPKIN: In Massachusetts, then again, insurance coverage protection has improved in the previous couple of months. That is based on Dr. Antje Barreveld, president of the American Academy of Ache Drugs. Opioids value only a few cents per tablet. JOURNAVX prices round $15 per tablet. Even with insurance coverage, that may be significant on the pharmacy counter, as Barreveld realized when her member of the family was prescribed each drugs after surgical procedure not too long ago.
ANTJE BARREVELD: The oxycodone value about, I feel, 50 cents, and the JOURNAVX was a $30 copay. So the variations are positively stark.
LUPKIN: And a few sufferers are nonetheless denied when attempting to get a refill after two weeks. About 38% of individuals have protection for JOURNAVX, based on Jayne Hornung, chief scientific officer on the well being care analytics agency MMIT. That is fairly typical for the primary few months after a brand new drug’s launch. She says most insurers are solely overlaying it for 14 days as a result of that is how lengthy it was studied.
JAYNE HORNUNG: We all know it is not addictive inside 14 days, however what about after 14 days? Additionally, what are the long-term unintended effects? We all know it is OK at 14 days, however do we all know at 30 days if you are going to have some long-term unintended effects from the drug? What a couple of yr?
LUPKIN: That is annoyed some continual ache sufferers who advised NPR they could not get JOURNAVX. As for Jerry Abrams, the ex-marathoner, he was capable of get a coupon from Vertex Prescribed drugs, the drug’s maker, to assist pay for a number of months of JOURNAVX. He says the drug did not relieve the primary supply of ache in his backbone however helped with ache in his shoulder and mid-back.
ABRAMS: I additionally discover it actually attention-grabbing that it has had optimistic results on the secondary ache from my again points.
LUPKIN: His physician is looking for a manner for him to remain on the drug after his coupon runs out. Research at the moment are underway that might assist JOURNAVX win extra FDA approvals for some type of continual ache. Sydney Lupkin, NPR Information.
(SOUNDBITE OF RENAO SONG, “LIFELINE”)
Copyright © 2025 NPR. All rights reserved. Go to our web site phrases of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for additional data.
Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts might differ. Transcript textual content could also be revised to appropriate errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org could also be edited after its unique broadcast or publication. The authoritative report of NPR’s programming is the audio report.
