Hospira gains US FDA backing for non-opioid analgesic Dyloject

US injectable drugs and infusion technologies specialist Hospira (NYSE: HSP) has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for Dyloject (diclofenac sodium) Injection, a proprietary non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) analgesic. The news pushed the firm’s shares up around 1% to $62.93 in early trading on Tuesday.

Dyloject is indicated for use in adults for the management of mild to moderate pain and for the management of moderate to severe pain alone or in combination with opioid analgesics.

"In today's health care 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 Sumant Ramachandra, senior vice president and chief scientific officer of Hospira, adding: "As a leading supplier of hospital pain management medication, Hospira's Dyloject will be a complementary addition to our existing portfolio of acute-care drugs, providing clinicians an additional non-opioid option that can be administered quickly and conveniently to treat pain."