FDA Approves Non-Opioid Painkiller Injection

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new non-opioid painkiller that is delivered by injection, Reuters reports. The painkiller, Dyloject, is designed to provide fast relief to patients suffering moderate to severe pain.

Hospira, the company that makes Dyloject, says the painkiller can be used alone or in combination with other non-opioid painkillers. Dyloject is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. It is not meant to be a replacement for opioids, the company said in a statement. The drug can be administered within 15 seconds. Other injectable non-opioid painkillers must be diluted before they are administered, and usually require an infusion of 15 to 30 minutes for a full dose, according to Hospira.

In November, the FDA approved Hysingla ER, a long-acting narcotic painkiller designed to deter abuse. The drug is taken once a day. It is meant to treat pain severe enough to require daily, around-the-clock, long-term opioid treatment, and for which alternative treatment options are inadequate.

The FDA said Hysingla should reduce, but not necessarily prevent, abuse through snorting or injecting. Hysingla is difficult to crush, the article notes. If it is cut into small pieces and dissolves, it turns gooey.

Earlier last year, the FDA approved Targiniq ER, a painkiller that combines oxycodone and naloxone. The naloxone blocks the euphoric effects of oxycodone, making it less appealing to abuse.