A new oral, dual-action painkiller is available this week for the treatment of adults with severe chronic pain, such as osteoarthritis (OA), lower back and cancer pain, which can only be adequately managed with opioid analgesics. Tapentadol prolonged release (Palexia SR) is a centrally acting analgesic that works as a µ-opioid receptor agonist and through noradrenaline reuptake inhibition. It is being marketed by Grünenthal as a Schedule 2 Controlled Drug.