A view shows the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland August 14, 2012. REUTERS/Jason Reed

(Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it has approved Medicines Co’s antibacterial drug for patients with complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI).

The drug, Vabomere, was approved to treat adults with cUTI, including pyelonephritis, a potentially life-threatening infection caused by bacteria traveling from the bladder into one or both of the kidneys.

The FDA said it was granting approval of Vabomere to Rempex Pharmaceuticals, a unit of Medicines Co.

Vabomere contains an antibacterial and an inhibitor which deters certain resistance mechanisms used by bacteria.

Shares of Medicines Co were up over 4 percent at $40.46 in after-hours trading on Tuesday.