[Tapentadol is a new, strongly efficative analgeticum with dual effect mechanisms]

Tapentadol exerts its analgesic effects through opioid receptor agonism and noradrenaline reuptake inhibition in the central nervous system. Clinical studies show that tapentadol effectively relieves moderate to severe pain in both post-operative and chronic pain. In these trials with equianalgesic doses of tapentadol and oxycodone, treatment with tapentadol was associated with significantly fewer gastrointestinal-related adverse events. Furthermore, in a placebo-controlled study, tapentadol has shown good efficacy in painful diabetic polyneuropathy.