Vertex’s suzetrigine (VX-548) is a potential first-in-class, exquisitely selective, oral NaV1.8 inhibitor that recently captured headlines for its positive Ph. III data in moderate-to-severe acute pain treatment. With nearly 51.6 million adults in the US experiencing chronic pain each year, coupled with the ongoing opioid epidemic throughout the US, there is an urgent unmet medical need for non-addictive pain medications as alternatives to opioids. Vertex started working in the pain space soon after they acquired San Diego’s Aurora Biosciences in 2001. Now, they plan to file an NDA for VX-548 by mid-2024 for the treatment of moderate-to-severe acute pain which has further ignited industry interest in NaV1.8. This case study highlights what’s publicly known about Vertex’s journey in pain leading up to the Ph. III readout for VX-548, and why this is such a watershed moment for pain management.