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.

This milestone marks a breakthrough after unsuccessful attempts to develop painkillers without the addictive potential of opioids.

The drug, shown to be almost as effective as opioids for short-term pain, is the first fundamentally new kind of painkiller to win FDA approval in more than 20 years.