Targeting Na1.8 with the nonopioid antagonist suzetrigine in analgesia: cause for optimism?

The opioid crisis has prompted an urgent search for nonopioid analgesics for both acute and chronic pain. Among these, sodium channel antagonists, particularly those targeting Na1.7 and Na1.8, have emerged as potential pain management solutions. Recent large trials have shown some efficacy of the new Na1.8 allosteric inhibitor suzetrigine in acute postoperative pain, and ongoing studies are investigating its potential for painful diabetic neuropathy. If efficacy is confirmed, this type of drug might fill a significant gap in the treatment of acute and chronic pain, offering a safer alternative to opioids and marking the advent of a new class of nonopioid analgesics.