By Hollie Silverman
Copyright newsweek
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued new draft guidance for the development of non-opioid treatments for chronic pain Wednesday.The draft, titled Development of Non-Opioid Analgesics for Chronic Pain outlines steps to creating and seeking alternative chronic pain treatments amid the opioid epidemic, specifically the development of non-opioid analgesic products.Analgesics are medications that relieve pain either by reducing inflammation or blocking pain signals in the nervous system. They include ibuprofen, acetomenophine, commonly known as Advil and Tylenol.The draft also responds to the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities (SUPPORT) Act, made law in 2018, which sought to increase the capacity of Medicaid providers to deliver substance use disorder treatment or recovery services.The SUPPORT Act saw millions in dollars of grants to multiple states to combat substance use disorder and opioid misuse.The FDA is seeking comment on the current draft within the next 60 days.The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which is over the FDA, has made several changes under Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s leadership, with many criticizing the most recent move by the department to change guidance on vaccines.This is a breaking news story. Updates to come.
