Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Boston-based biotech that pioneered cystic fibrosis treatments and now expands into pain management and gene therapy. - Developer and manufacturer of suzetrigine

For more than 20 years, doctors facing patients in severe pain had two choices: prescribe opioids that risked addiction, or use weaker alternatives that often fell short. On January 30, 2025, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved suzetrigine—brand name Journavx—ending that drought as the first entirely new class of pain medication since the late 1990s.

Updated Feb 7

Boston-based biotech that built a near-monopoly on cystic fibrosis treatments through four breakthrough drugs. - Dominant CF treatment manufacturer facing first generic competition

A generic version of Trikafta—the breakthrough cystic fibrosis drug that extends lives by decades—hit the market at $12,750 per year. That's 95% cheaper than Vertex Pharmaceuticals' brand-name version, which costs over $300,000 annually and has generated billions while remaining out of reach for patients in developing nations and many Americans with inadequate insurance.

Updated Jan 12