FDA approves new, non-opioid painkiller Journavx

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved Journavx, a non-opioid painkiller that is the first novel pain drug to win government authorization in more than 20 years.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals, which makes the drug, has billed it as an effective alternative to opioids that isn’t addictive. Journavx works by intercepting pain signals before they reach the spinal cord, rather than acting directly on the brain. Vertex said the wholesale cost would be $15.50 per 50 milligram pill, or about $31 for a recommended starting dose.