Vertex’s FDA-Approved, Non-Opioid Pain Drug Estimated to Reach $3.4B Peak Sales by 2032

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX) secured U.S. regulatory approval for Journavx (suzetrigine), a non-opioid analgesic for moderate to severe acute pain, marking the first federal approval of its kind in over two decades. The decision, announced on January 30 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), positions Vertex to expand into the pain management market, traditionally dominated by opioids.

The company is also pursuing broader approval for chronic pain indications, including peripheral neuropathic pain (PNP)—which encompasses painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and painful lumbosacral radiculopathy (LSR). These conditions present a higher risk of opioid addiction, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Journavx is currently in Phase III trials for DPN and Phase II trials for LSR.

Analysts project Journavx to generate $105.8 million in acute pain sales in 2025, rising to $362 million in 2026, with peak global sales of $2.6 billion by 2032. Once the drug secures additional regulatory approvals for DPN, LSR, and other neuropathic pain indications, Journavx’s total sales across acute and chronic pain could reach $3.4 billion by 2032, accounting for 15% of Vertex’s total revenue, up from just 1% in 2025.