The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Thursday a new type of prescription pain medication for moderate to severe acute pain for adults.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta said Tuesday that the approval of a new non-opioid pain medication is “a pretty big deal.” “This is a pretty big deal,” Gupta said. “As you just mentioned, it’s

The FDA on Thursday approved a new class of pain medication that provides an alternative to opioids. It will be sold under the brand name Journavx.

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.