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.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals on Thursday won approval from the Food and Drug Administration for a non-opioid pain drug, clearing the way for the rollout of a product that has simultaneously sparked high hopes and mixed opinions among physicians and market analysts.

U.S. officials have approved a new type of pain drug designed to eliminate the risks of addiction and overdose associated with opioids