Vertex’s drug works in a completely different way ... Lidocaine, a local anesthetic, works by blocking all sodium channels in the area it’s applied to — for example, the gums during dental work. A ...

Vertex is faced with an access challenge as it is charging $15.50 for a 50 mg dose of Journavx, which works out to $420 for a two-week course. Generic opioids, meanwhile, go for roughly $0.50 a pill.