Vertex Pharmaceuticals ( VRTX ) reported early Thursday that its non-opioid drug met its main goal of relieving back pain in a mid-stage trial. However, Vertex shares plunged as a placebo showed similar relief.
Vertex's experimental oral drug suzetrigine showed a statistically significant reduction in patients with painful lumbosacral radiculopathy (LSR). On the Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), the drug showed a mean change of -2.02 after 12 weeks.
In patients who received a placebo, the reduction was comparable at -1.98.
Expectations for Vertex's non-opioid drug were higher as it has the potential for a huge market.
Vertex stock
Vertex shares plunged more than 10% in pre-market trading, indicating a possible two-year low at the start of trading.
https://www.investors.com/news/technology/vertex-non-opioid-drug-placebo-back-pain-study-vrtx-stock/
