Vertex Pharmaceuticals said Wednesday that an experimental drug reduced pain in people with diabetes who have chronic nerve pain — mid-stage study results that support the biotech company’s efforts to develop an effective painkiller without the addictive potential of opioids.
The drug, a pill called VX-548, is designed to precisely block pain-sensing neurons from signaling the brain. The Phase 2 study enrolled 192 people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy for at least one year. Three different doses of VX-548 reduced average pain intensity by 2.26, 2.11, and 2.18 points, as measured on a 11-point pain ratings scale. The results, measured at 12 weeks, were statistically significant compared to baseline pain scores, Vertex said.
The study also included a separate arm of patients treated with pregabalin, a non-opioid therapy approved nearly 20 years ago and used to block nerve pain and treat seizures. In this group, pain intensity was reduced by 2.09 points over 12 weeks. The trial wasn’t powered to directly compare VX-548 to pregabalin, although investors were anticipating Vertex’s drug to show numerically effective pain relief.
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