The drug represents a new pathway to treating people with pain due to surgeries or traumatic injuries, avoiding the addictive risks 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.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new non-opioid pain medication developed by the Massachusetts-based company Vertex Pharmaceuticals on Thursday. The drug, which is called suzetrigine and will be sold under the brand name Journavx,