The Food and Drug Administration approved Vertex Pharmaceuticals' non-opioid painkiller pill, a new alternative for pain relief that comes without the risk of addiction.  It's a milestone after a long history of unsuccessful efforts to develop painkillers without the destructive dependency of opioids,

A non-opioid pain medication made by Vertex Pharmaceuticals has received approval for adults from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The FDA has approved Vertex Pharmaceuticals' Journavx, the first new medication to be approved in more than two decades, to treat adults with acute pain. The medication is the first of its kind, with non-addictive properties and provides an alternative to opioids.