The FDA has approved Forest Laboratories’ drug Combunox for use in the treatment of moderate to severe pain.
Combunox is a combination of the drug oxycodone, considered to be 10 times more potent than codeine, with the pain reducer ibuprofen.
Forest Laboratories said Combunox provides physicians with a new option for the management of pain typically experienced by patients after surgery or an injury. The New York-based drug maker said it expects to begin selling Combunox in early 2005. 
Combunox was licensed to Forest by London investment firm BTG PLC. Under the terms of the licensing agreement, Forest is responsible for manufacturing, sales and marketing activities of the product in the United States. Forest also has marketing rights in Canada and the United Kingdom, and sub-licensing rights in all other countries of the world.