US FDA Okays Painkillers That Help Opioids Wean

New York: US federal officials have approved a new type of pain pill designed to eliminate the risks of addiction and overdose associated with opioid medications like Vicodin and OxyContin.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Thursday it approved Vertex Pharmaceuticals' Journavx for short-term pain that often follows surgery or injuries, Xinhua news agency reported.

Journavx (suzetrigine) 50 milligram oral tablets, is the first drug to be approved in this new class of pain management medicines.

“Today’s approval is an important public health milestone in acute pain management,” said Jacqueline Corrigan-Curay, acting director of the US FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.