AbstractIntravenous tazadolene elevated the threshold stimulus for rabbits to respond to electrical tooth‐pulp stimulation. Systemic tazadolene also increased the latency for mice to lick their paws in the hot‐plate analgesic test. However, tazadolene did not alter the mouse tail flick, a spinal reflex most sensitive to analgesics acting at spinal sites. Tazadolene analgesia was not antagonized by naloxone. Intracranial (i.c.), but not intraspinal (i.s.), injections of tazadolene were more effective than systemic injections in producing analgesic effects in the hot‐plate test. It is concluded that tazadolene is a centrally‐acting, non‐narcotic analgesic.