One participant in the drug trial for Journavx said it eliminated her pain without making her feel loopy or nauseous, which she says she experienced when taking 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.