Hospira injectable painkiller OK’d by FDA

Hospira Inc. said its new injectable painkiller has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Hospira’s Dyloject is a non-opioid analgesic designed for use by adults to control moderate to sever pain. The drug can be used alone or in combination with opioid analgesics, the Lake Forest company said Tuesday.

“In today’s healthcare environment, pain management and patient satisfaction are important to hospitals. As a result, various medical organizations are now recommending a multi-modal approach to pain control in an effort to minimize the use of opioids,” said Dr. Sumant Ramachandra, a Hospira senior vice president and chief scientific officer.

Dyloject is a nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drug analgesic, a group of drugs also being studied for anti-inflammatory effects.

Hospira says its new drug can be administered in as little as 15 seconds compared with other non-opioid options that can take at least 15 minutes to administer.