The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Thursday a new type of prescription pain medication for moderate to severe acute pain for adults.

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.

The FDA's approval of the non-addictive painkiller Journavx last week marked a milestone in the field of pain management. Why it matters: Millions of Americans with acute and chronic pain are prescribed opioids,