Shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals rose after Journavx, the company’s oral non-opioid pain medication, received Food and Drug Administration approval.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Vertex Pharmaceuticals' drug to treat acute pain, the health regulator said on Thursday, offering a first-of-its-kind alternative to addictive opioid painkillers that have fueled a national crisis.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals on Thursday won approval from the Food and Drug Administration for a non-opioid pain drug, clearing the way for the rollout of a product that has simultaneously sparked high hopes and mixed opinions among physicians and market analysts.