This milestone marks a breakthrough after unsuccessful attempts to develop painkillers without the addictive potential of opioids.

On Thursday, in a major step forward in pain management, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new nonopioid painkiller that could change the way doctors treat acute pain. The drug, developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals,

The prescription pills, sold under the brand name Journavx and made by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, are taken twice a day and represent the first new class of pain medications in 20 years—and the first non-opioid painkiller since that class first appeared on the market in the 1980s.