Hospital is state’s first to approve use of new FDA-approved analgesic

Contact: Steven Lee, (210) 450-3823, lees22@uthscsa.edu

SAN ANTONIO, June 11, 2025 – Showing its leadership in addressing the opioid crisis, the UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research Hospital is the state’s first to approve use of a new non-opioid medication for pain following orthopaedic and podiatric surgeries.

The effort is part of UT Health San Antonio’s “multimodal” approach to pain management, combining non-opioid medications and physical therapy, at its hospital that opened Dec. 10 to provide specialty surgery, advanced imaging and comprehensive cancer care.

The new drug suzetrigine, brand name Journavx, is not a controlled substance and avoids opioid-related side effects. It was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in January and first became available in April.

And its manufacturer confirmed that the Multispecialty and Research Hospital is the first in Texas to add it to its approved list of inpatient medications as a first-line treatment for post-surgical pain, restricted to orthopaedic and podiatric surgical patients.

“At UT Health San Antonio, we are committed to newer strategies to minimize and even eliminate narcotic pain medication after surgery,” said Christopher D. Chaput, MD, vice chief of staff and chair of orthopaedic surgery at the UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research Hospital. “Narcotics, in addition to the risk of addiction, have a range of other negative side effects after surgery including sedation, mental status change and constipation. Instead, we use local and regional nerve blocks, as well as newer non-narcotic medications to reduce the need for opiate based medications.

“Nursing and physical therapists can also help with pain control techniques and early mobilization, which has been shown to improve outcomes and lessen pain,” he said. “At the new Multispecialty and Research Hospital, anesthesiologists, pharmacists, nurses and surgeons are all working towards this same goal for our postoperative patients.”

The type of post-surgical pain associated with orthopaedics is the target indication for the newly approved medication, said Lee C. Rogers, DPM, clinical associate professor of orthopaedics and chief of podiatry at UT Health San Antonio.

“It could be spine, or a total joint or a bunion,” Rogers said. “This is a way to use innovative and effective pain management approaches that avoid opioids and their side effects.”

A national study of suzetrigine actually was done with bunion surgery, which is a common pain model for research. Rather than targeting the central nervous system of the brain and spinal cord, like opioids do, the new drug targets the peripheral nervous system, or the network of nerves that connects the central nervous system with the rest of the body.

It is comparable to hydromorphone, a potent opioid medication for moderate to severe post-operative pain, only without the narcotic side effects of addiction, tolerance, drowsiness and other issues.

“This is a significant milestone for UT Health San Antonio,” said Jeff Flowers, chief executive officer of the UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research Hospital. “Offering this new non-opioid option for post-surgical pain reflects our continued commitment to compassionate, patient-centered care. By integrating the latest advances into our pain management strategy, we’re improving recovery for our patients while also reducing reliance on opioids across South Texas.”

UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research Hospital is a best-in-class hospital delivering specialty surgeries and advanced cancer care including immunologic and stem cell therapies. The hospital brings the most innovative research conducted across South Texas and features modern technology such as touchless designs and advanced artificial intelligence. It is directly connected to the Mays Cancer Center — the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in South Texas. This patient- and family-centered hospital offers a seamless health care experience and renewed hope for patients and those who love them.

UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research Hospital is part of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio), a primary driver for San Antonio’s $44.1 billion health care and biosciences sector with an annual research portfolio and sponsored program activity of more than $436 million. The university is one of the country’s leading health science and research universities with missions of teaching, research and patient care. UT Health San Antonio plans continued growth over the next five years and anticipates adding more than 1,500 higher-wage jobs to serve San Antonio, Bexar County and the South Texas region.

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