Vertex Pharmaceuticals ( VRTX 2.53%) has long been known as the company to turn to for life-saving cystic fibrosis (CF) drugs, and this platform has helped it generate billions of dollars in earnings. But Vertex now is showing that it also can be a game changer when it comes to treating one of the most common of health problems -- pain.

Journavx is the first and only approved non-opioid oral painkiller and the first new class of pain medicine approved in more than 20 years.