Orthopedic surgery patients responded well to a new nonopioid pain reliever, according to a new study from New York City-based Hospital for Special Surgery, expanding pain management options.
Suzetrigine is the first nonopioid pain reliever released in more than two decades. It was approved by the FDA in January 2025 and became available at HSS in April 2025, according to an April 17 news release from HSS.
The study evaluated 103 patients who took suzetrigine after undergoing a surgical procedure, mostly joint arthroplasty or spine surgery, at HSS. Eight patients experienced an adverse reaction, but the remaining 95 generally tolerated the medication well.
Suzetrigine blocks one sodium channel and is more targeted than local anesthetics, according to the new release. By blocking only one channel, patients should experience better pain relief and fewer side effects.
Alexandra Sideris, PhD, director of the Pain Prevention Research Center at HSS, and Faye Rim, MD, a physiatrist and pain management specialist within the department of anesthesiology, critical care and pain management, co-led the study, the release said.
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