Latigo reports non-opioid pain drug succeeds in key trial

Latigo Biotherapeutics reported that its non-opioid pain drug reduced acute pain in a Phase 2b study, according to Endpoints News. The company is positioning the candidate as a competitor to Journavx, the non-opioid pain treatment developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals and already approved for sale.

Endpoints News reported that Latigo’s next step is to replicate these findings in further trials before it can advance toward a similar approval pathway. The report did not specify the trial’s full design, patient population, or the magnitude of pain reduction observed beyond noting the study’s success in meeting its aims.

The Endpoints News report frames Latigo’s progress within the broader competitive landscape for non-opioid analgesics, an area that has drawn significant industry attention following Vertex’s approval of Journavx. Multiple companies are now pursuing alternatives to opioid painkillers, seeking treatments that manage acute pain without the addiction risks associated with traditional opioid therapies.

The report characterizes the pursuit of viable non-opioid alternatives as a response to the ongoing opioid crisis, noting that a successful entrant in this category could provide patients and physicians an additional option for pain management outside conventional opioid prescribing.

Endpoints News did not report a specific timeline for Latigo’s subsequent trials or indicate when additional data might be available for review.