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The Food and Drug Administration in U.S. has announced that it will soon be working on cracking down companies that market versions of the painkiller oxycodone which have not been approved after a federal review.

Oxycodone, a powerful pain killer, can cause addiction, abuse and even death, when used inappropriately. Legally, the drug is marketed and sold by companies like Purdue Pharma, reported Healthland.time.com.

FDA reviews are done on drugs to make sure that they are safe and effective. However, there are other companies which market similar pills for years now, without FDA approval.

In a federal register notice, FDA has given 45 days time to companies marketing unapproved versions of oxycodone to cease the manufacturing of the drug.  Failing to do so, companies will be subjected to product seizure and court proceedings.

Oxycodone and other opioid painkillers are among the most widely-abused drugs in the U.S, said the report.