Profile of extended-release oxycodone/acetaminophen for acute pain

This article provides a historical and pharmacological overview of a new opioid analgesic that boasts an extended-release (ER) formulation designed to provide both immediate and prolonged analgesia for up to 12 hours in patients who are experiencing acute pain. This novel medication, ER oxycodone/acetaminophen, competes with current US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved opioid formulations available on the market in that it offers two benefits concurrently: a prolonged duration of action, and multimodal analgesia through a combination of an opioid (oxycodone) with a nonopioid component. Current FDA-approved combination analgesics, such as Percocet (oxycodone/acetaminophen), are available solely in immediate-release (IR) formulations.