The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the first new type of painkiller, Vertex Pharmaceuticals' Journavx, for short-term pain after surgery or injury, making it the first new pharmaceutical pain treatment in more than 20 years.
The drug is a 50-milligram prescription pill taken every 12 hours after a larger initial dose and will be sold under the brand name Journavx.
"A new therapeutic class of non-opioid analgesic for acute pain offers an opportunity to mitigate some of the risks associated with the use of an opioid for pain and offers patients another treatment option. This action and the agency's determinations to expedite the drug's development and review underscore the FDA's commitment to approving safe and effective alternatives to opioids for pain management," a press release said.
It offers an alternative to opioids like Vicodin and OxyContin, as well as over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen and acetaminophen.
However, the drug's modest effectiveness, lengthy development process and high cost, which is much more expensive than comparable opioids, highlight the challenges of finding new ways to manage pain.
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