New pain-relieving drug approved in the US

Analgesic drug tapentadol hydrochloride has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of moderate to severe pain.

"This approval offers health care professionals an additional choice for treating moderate to severe acute pain," said Dr John Jenkins, director of the office of new drugs in the FDA's Centre for Drug Evaluation and Research.

A centrally-acting synthetic analgesic, the drug is available in doses of 50mg, 75mg and 100mg.

It acts in two ways - opioid and non-opioid. The drug activates the opioid receptors in the brain, spinal cord and gastrointestinal tract, thereby affecting the body.

Inhibiting the reabsorption of norepinephrine, a brain chemical, tapentadol has a possible analgesic effect.

Side effects include nausea, dizziness, vomiting, sleepiness, and headaches. The warning label on the drug includes risk of addiction, respiratory problems and depression if taken along with alcohol or other drugs.

A spokesman for the Arthritis Research Campaign said most available pain-relieving drugs for people with arthritis were associated with side-effects.

"It remains to be seen if this particular drug becomes available in the UK, and whether it will be widely prescribed," he added.

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