Tapentadol immediate-release for acute pain

Abstract

Tapentadol is a novel opioid agent with a dual mode of analgesic action. The inhibition of norepinephrine combined with moderate opioid agonist activity results in fewer gastrointestinal adverse effects compared with equianalgesic doses of oxycodone. Having no active metabolites and minimal protein binding, tapentadol provides improved tolerability with a lower potential for pharmacokinetic drug–drug interactions or accumulation with impaired renal or hepatic function when compared with oxycodone. Tapentadol immediate-release is currently US FDA approved for moderate-to-severe acute pain in adults.

Keywords::

• gastrointestinal adverse effect
• norepinephrine reuptake inhibition
• opioid
• opioid-induced constipation
• tapentadol
• tolerability

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Craig T Hartrick has received research funding from Johnson & Johnson and subsidiaries. The author has no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.