- Tatum shares, for the first time, his treatment experience with JOURNAVX while recovering from Achilles injury -

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) today announced that the company has partnered with basketball world champion Jayson Tatum to raise awareness of JOURNAVX^® (suzetrigine), a prescription non-opioid medicine for the treatment of moderate-to-severe acute pain in adults and the first new class of pain medicine approved in more than 20 years.

During the 2025 playoffs in May, Jayson ruptured his Achilles tendon, a season-ending injury that required immediate surgery. Now, for the first time, Jayson is sharing his story detailing his injury, his experience treating his acute pain with JOURNAVX, and his laser focus on getting back to the court.

"I have dealt with pain and played through it quite a bit over the course of my career, but tearing my Achilles was something I never thought would happen to me,” said Tatum. “With the intensity of this surgery and recovery, I knew I would need a different approach to managing the pain given the side effects I initially experienced with the opioid pain medication that my surgeon prescribed me. I took JOURNAVX as a non-opioid alternative, and it worked in effectively managing my pain. My hope is that by sharing my story, people will see they’re not alone in wanting new options to treat their short-term pain and should feel empowered to talk with their doctor about JOURNAVX to see if it’s right for them.”

“We’re proud to partner with Jayson Tatum, a world-class athlete, philanthropist, and father,” said Duncan McKechnie, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of Vertex. “By sharing his personal story and JOURNAVX experience, Jayson is empowering others to be proactive with their doctors about pain management and discuss whether JOURNAVX is right for them.”

"In my practice, I've operated on thousands of patients with a wide range of injuries including many elite athletes, and for each of my patients, post-operative pain management is a crucial conversation," said Martin J. O'Malley MD, Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery. "Because of the side effects that Jayson experienced with opioids and his desire to not take them, we chose JOURNAVX to treat Jayson’s postoperative pain, and it worked in effectively managing his pain. I'm glad to have this vital non-opioid treatment option in my toolbox.”

If you are a healthcare professional and would like more information about JOURNAVX, visit www.journavxhcp.com. If you are a patient and would like more information about JOURNAVX, visit www.journavx.com.

About Journavx

JOURNAVX (suzetrigine) is a first-in-class, oral, non-opioid, highly selective pain signal inhibitor that is selective for NaV1.8 relative to other NaV channels. NaV1.8 is a voltage-gated sodium channel that is selectively expressed in peripheral pain-sensing neurons (nociceptors), where its role is to transmit pain signals (action potentials). Because JOURNAVX blocks pain signals only found in the periphery, not in the brain, JOURNAVX provides effective relief of pain without the limitations of certain currently available therapies, including the addictive potential of opioids.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved twice-daily JOURNAVX for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe acute pain on January 30, 2025.

US INDICATION and IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FOR JOURNAVX^™ (suzetrigine)

INDICATION AND USAGE

JOURNAVX is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with moderate-to-severe short term (acute) pain.

It is not known if JOURNAVX is safe and effective in children.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Patients should not take JOURNAVX if they take certain medicines that are strong inhibitors of an enzyme called CYP3A. Patients should ask their healthcare providers if they are not sure.

Before taking JOURNAVX, patients should tell their healthcare provider about all of their medical conditions, including if they: have liver problems. People with liver problems may have an increased risk of getting side effects from taking JOURNAVX; are pregnant or plan to become pregnant as it is not known if JOURNAVX will harm an unborn baby. Patients and their healthcare providers should decide if they will take JOURNAVX while they are pregnant, are breastfeeding, or are planning to breastfeed, as it is not known if JOURNAVX passes into breast milk. Patients and their healthcare providers should decide if they will take JOURNAVX while they are breastfeeding.

Patients should tell their healthcare provider about all the medicines they take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Taking JOURNAVX with certain other medicines may affect the way JOURNAVX and the other medicines work and may increase patients’ risk of side effects. Patients should ask their healthcare provider or pharmacist for a list of these medicines if they are not sure.

Patients should especially tell their healthcare provider if they take hormonal birth control medicine (contraceptives) containing progestins other than levonorgestrel or norethindrone. If they take one of these contraceptives (progestins other than levonorgestrel or norethindrone), they may not work as well during treatment with JOURNAVX. Patients should also use nonhormonal contraceptives such as condoms or use other forms of hormonal birth control during treatment with JOURNAVX and for 28 days after they stop taking JOURNAVX. Medicines that are substrates of the CYP3A enzyme may become less effective during treatment with JOURNAVX. Their healthcare provider may need to adjust the dose of patients’ medicine when starting or stopping JOURNAVX. Patients should know the medicines they take and keep a list of them to show their healthcare provider and pharmacist when they get a new medicine. Patients should not take food or drink containing grapefruit while taking JOURNAVX.

JOURNAVX can cause side effects: The most common side effects for patients treated with JOURNAVX include itching, muscle spasms, increased blood level of creatine phosphokinase, and rash. JOURNAVX may temporarily reduce the chance of females becoming pregnant while on treatment. Patients should talk to their healthcare provider if they have concerns about becoming pregnant. If patients are using contraceptives, continue to use contraceptives during treatment with JOURNAVX. Patients should tell their healthcare provider if they have any side effect that bothers them or that does not go away. These are not all of the possible side effects of JOURNAVX. Patients should call their healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. Patients may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please click here for the full Prescribing Information, including Patient Information, for JOURNAVX.

About Vertex

Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people with serious diseases and conditions. The company has approved therapies for cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia and acute pain, and it continues to advance clinical and research programs in these areas. Vertex also has a robust clinical pipeline of investigational therapies across a range of modalities in other serious diseases where it has deep insight into causal human biology, including neuropathic pain, APOL1-mediated kidney disease, IgA nephropathy, primary membranous nephropathy, autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, type 1 diabetes and myotonic dystrophy type 1.

Vertex was founded in 1989 and has its global headquarters in Boston, with international headquarters in London. Additionally, the company has research and development sites and commercial offices in North America, Europe, Australia, Latin America and the Middle East. Vertex is consistently recognized as one of the industry's top places to work, including 15 consecutive years on Science magazine's Top Employers list and one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For. For company updates and to learn more about Vertex's history of innovation, visit www.vrtx.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X.

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including, without limitation, statements made by Jayson Tatum, Duncan McKechnie and Martin J. O'Malley MD in this press release and statements regarding the expectations for the potential benefits of JOURNAVX and expectations for the collaboration with Jayson Tatum.

While Vertex believes the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are accurate, these forward-looking statements represent the company's beliefs only as of the date of this press release and there are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Those risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the risks listed under the heading “Risk Factors” in Vertex's annual report and in subsequent filings filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available through the company's website at www.vrtx.com and www.sec.gov. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Vertex disclaims any obligation to update the information contained in this press release as new information becomes available.

(VRTX-GEN)

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250923628614/en/