SUZETRIGINE, A NEW SELECTIVE NaV1.8 INHIBITOR, AS A BREAKTHROUGH IN THE TREATMENT OF PAIN – A REVIEW ARTICLE

Introduction and purpose: Pain, especially chronic, remains a major public health burden, often refractory to existing treatments and associated with significant individual and social costs. Recent advances in our understanding of voltage-gated sodium channels, particularly NaV1.8, have highlighted their pivotal role in nociceptive signal transmission in peripheral sensory neurons. Suzetrigine, a novel and highly selective NaV1.8 inhibitor, has emerged as a promising therapeutic candidate in this context. Aim: This review aims to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and therapeutic potential of suzetrigine, a novel and selective NaV1.8 channel inhibitor, in pain management and to assess its role as a non-opioid alternative in modern pain treatment. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive review of literature available in the PubMed database was performed. This process involved a thorough search of articles written in English containing the following key terms: “suzetrigine”, “selective voltage-gated sodium channels”, “pain”, “pain management”, “NaV1.8”. The gathered data was then scrupulously examined and analyzed. Conclusion: Suzetrigine with its high NaV1.8 channel selectivity and robust acute pain efficacy may represent a breakthrough in analgesia and pain management strategies. By minimizing off-target effects commonly associated with non-selective sodium channel blockers, suzetrigine offers a compelling alternative to opioids in treatment of postoperative pain. Its role in chronic and neuropathic pain remains under active investigation, with promising but not yet definitive results.