Hospira's non-opioid painkiller gets FDA approval

(Reuters) - Hospira Inc said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had approved its non-opioid injection that provides faster relief to patients suffering moderate to severe pain. The approval comes amid efforts to curb rising opioid-prescription drug abuse. In the United States alone, more than 16,500 deaths related to opioid-prescription drugs were reported in 2010. The drug, Dyloject, can be used alone, or in combination with non-opioid painkillers, the company said on Tuesday. Dyloject forms part of a class of drugs called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which are commonly used as painkillers, but are also being studied for their anti-inflammatory effects. The drug does not constitute a replacement for opioids, but can be administered within 15 seconds. Other injectable non-opioid painkillers depend upon dilution prior to administration, and typically require an infusion of 15 to 30 minutes for a full dose, Hospira said. The FDA approved Hysingla ER, Purdue Pharma LP's long-acting narcotic painkiller with abuse-resistant properties in November, in line with its efforts to combat escalating abuse. Hysingla ER is the fourth painkiller with abuse-resistant properties to be cleared by the agency. Lake Forest, Illinois-based Hospira's stock rose about 1 percent to $62.93 on the New York Stock Exchange in early Tuesday morning trade. (Reporting by Natalie Grover in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)