Vertex non-opioid painkiller shows positive late-stage trial results

Vertex Pharmaceuticals on Tuesday said its experimental painkiller, which is being tested as an alternative to addictive opioids, significantly decreased post-surgery pain in late-stage trials

The drug, known as VX-548, did not work better than a popular opioid, however.

Still, the trial results bring the biotech company one step closer to developing a drug that can provide strong pain relief without the addictive potential of opioids, which have caused a horrific epidemic in the U.S. Plenty of other similar painkillers never reached the market.

Vertex said it would file for Food and Drug Administration approval of the painkiller for the treatment of moderate-to-severe acute pain by the middle of this year.

Acute pain is usually caused by injury, surgery, illness, trauma or painful medical procedures and is likely to ease with time. Around 80 million patients are prescribed a medicine for their moderate-to-severe acute pain every year in the U.S., Vertex said in a release.

Wall Street analysts have said that the drug, which works by blocking pain signals at its origin before they reach the brain, could become a blockbuster drug if it wins approval from regulators, estimating its annual sales could exceed $1 billion.

“We are very pleased with the results from the VX-548 pivotal program, which demonstrate a compelling and consistent combination of efficacy and safety across multiple acute pain conditions and settings,” Vertex CEO Dr. Reshma Kewalramani said in a release.

Shares of Vertex rose more than 2% on Tuesday following the data release. The company, best known for developing drugs to treat the serious genetic disorder cystic fibrosis, has a market value of about $115 billion.

Last year, the company’s painkiller produced positive results in a mid-stage trial in diabetes patients suffering from a chronic nerve condition. The stock also saw a…