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Podcast: Anesthesia Patient Safety Podcast
Episode: #265 The Breakthrough Drug Changing Perioperative Pain Management
Description: A revolution in pain management has arrived. The FDA's approval of Suzetrigine in January 2025 introduces the first non-opioid analgesic for moderate to severe pain in over twenty years. This breakthrough medication targets the voltage-gated sodium channel, NAV1.8, effectively blocking pain signals at their source before they reach the brain.What makes Suzetrigine remarkable is its precision. With over 30,000-fold selectivity for NAV1.8 channels, it delivers powerful analgesia without affecting the brain or heart, eliminating addiction risk, and minimizing side effects. Clinical trials involving over 2,100 patients demonstrated pain relief comparable to opioid-acetaminophen combinations but with a safety profile...