BOSTON– Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) announced Tuesday that it has partnered with basketball world champion Jayson Tatum to raise awareness of JOURNAVX® (suzetrigine), a newly approved non-opioid prescription medicine for adults with moderate-to-severe acute pain. JOURNAVX is the first new class of pain medicine approved in more than two decades.
Tatum, who ruptured his Achilles tendon during the 2025 playoffs in May, underwent immediate surgery and is now publicly sharing his recovery journey. For the first time, the Boston star has detailed his experience managing post-surgical pain with JOURNAVX, rather than opioids.
“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.”
Vertex executives said Tatum’s personal story underscores the need for new approaches to pain management at a time when opioid use continues to carry significant risks.
“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.”
Martin J. O’Malley, M.D., Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery and Tatum’s surgeon, said JOURNAVX proved to be an effective alternative. “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,” O’Malley said. “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.”
