Vertex Phase 4 Study Shows 90.9% Opioid-Free Recovery in Plastic Surgery Patients
Vertex reports Phase 4 study of JOURNAVX in 99 plastic surgery patients showed 90.9% remained opioid-free through treatment, compared to literature rates below 10%. 90.7% of patients rated pain control as excellent, very good or good, and no serious drug-related adverse events were observed.
1. Study Design and Patient Population
Vertex evaluated JOURNAVX in adult patients undergoing various reconstructive and aesthetic procedures within a Phase 4 open-label, multicenter, single-arm trial. The regimen included preoperative and postoperative dosing alongside acetaminophen and ibuprofen in 99 patients across breast surgeries, liposuction, abdominoplasty and turbinoplasty.
2. Efficacy Results
90.9% of participants did not require any rescue opioids after surgery through the end of treatment. On the Patient Global Assessment scale, 90.7% of patients rated pain control as excellent, very good or good.
3. Benchmark Comparison
Opioid-free rates with JOURNAVX greatly exceeded published multimodal therapy benchmarks of less than 10%. This suggests a potential role for JOURNAVX as a core element of opioid-free acute pain management in plastic surgery.
4. Safety Profile and Next Steps
JOURNAVX was generally safe and well tolerated, with only mild to moderate postoperative adverse events and no serious drug-related events. These Phase 4 data will be presented at the PainConnect 2026 meeting in Salt Lake City, March 5–8.