J&J drug approved for chronic pain

RARITAN, N.J. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug made by Johnson & Johnson for treating chronic pain, a J&J subsidiary said Friday.



The FDA approved Janssen Pharmaceuticals' Nucynta ER (tapentadol) tablets, an extended-release drug for moderate to severe chronic pain in adults for whom a continuous, around-the-clock opioid analgesic is needed for an extended period of time.



According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Pain Foundation, more than 42 million Americans ages 20 years and older have chronic pain, making it the most common cause of long-term disability.