Following Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ landmark approval of a selective sodium channel blocker addressing acute pain, SiteOne Therapeutics has garnered significant investment and agreed to a potential $1 billion acquisition by Eli Lilly focused on non-addictive pain relief. Meanwhile, obesity drug development accelerates as Protagonist Therapeutics nominates a novel triple receptor agonist peptide PN-477, and Syntis Bio raises $38 million for a gut-coating obesity treatment mimicking gastric bypass effects. These advancements signal increased energy in therapeutic areas previously viewed as risky or crowded.