Recro Pharma’s latest drug test felt more like a shot of adrenaline than a sigh of relief when patients noted they were well aware of the benefits of the new experimental, non-opioid pain medicine for surgical recovery.

The clinical study of 219 abdominoplasty surgery patients recorded statistically significant pain relief from Recro Pharma’s intravenous meloxicam, as well as statistically significant timeliness of pain relief and other results, according to a Philadelphia Business Journal report by John George.

“This is a big deal for our company because it is challenging to get positive study data in pain,” President and CEO Gerri Henwood said. “It’s a tough area.”

Malvern-based Recro Pharma’s IV meloxicam aims to provide pain relief after abdominal and orthopedic surgeries without the addiction risks associated with opioids. And pending a final safety study this winter or next spring, the firm is on pace to seek FDA approval next summer.

Read more about Recro Pharma’s new drug and its recent clinical study in the Philadelphia Business Journal here, and check out previous VISTA Today coverage of the company here.