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,

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

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.