Newly Approved Opioid 10 Times Stronger Than Fentanyl

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new opioid painkiller that is 10 times stronger than fentanyl, USA Today reports.

The drug, Dsuvia, is also 1,000 times more potent than morphine. It will be restricted to limited use only in health care settings, such as hospitals, emergency rooms and surgery centers. Dsuvia comes in tablet form, in a single-use package.

Critics say the drug could fuel the opioid epidemic. While an FDA advisory committee recommended approval of Dsuvia last month, the committee’s chair voiced his opposition, HealthDay reports. Dr. Raeford Brown, a professor of anesthesiology and pediatrics at the University of Kentucky, urged the FDA to reject the opioid.

“I am very disappointed with the decision of the agency to approve Dsuvia. This action is inconsistent with the charter of the agency,” Brown said. “I will continue to hold the agency accountable for their response to the worst public health problem since the 1918 influenza epidemic.”