FDA Approves Opioid 1,000x Stronger Than Morphine

A recent Popular Science article discussed a new ultra-powerful drug that just received FDA approval. Dsuvia, formulated by AcelRX Pharmaceuticals, is a new form of a drug called sufentanil, which is reportedly a 10-times more powerful version of fentanyl. It comes in a 30-microgram tablet that is taken under the tongue via a special applicator that dispenses a single dose.

According to FDA commissioner Scot Gottlieb, Dsuvia won’t be sold in retail pharmacies, and will only be administered in “medically-supervised health care settings.” He went on to say that the special single-dose applicator will help prevent accidental overdose. The FDA’s Anesthetic and Analgesic Drug Product Advisory Committee voted in favor of the drug in October, and the agency approved it on November 2^nd. It should hit the market in early 2019.