FDA is committed to new classes of pain medicines without the same risks as opioids

Issue: Addressing the lack of non-opioid alternatives for pain management. Although non-opioid medications for chronic pain have recently been approved for the market, more alternatives are needed, including non-pharmacologic treatments.

“The FDA is working closely with industry and the National Institutes of Health to develop alternative medications without the addictive properties of opioids. Nonpharmacologic approaches to pain treatment have also been identified as an urgent priority.”

— Robert M. Califf, M.D., Janet Woodcock, M.D., and Stephen Ostroff, M.D.