Jan 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Monday it has approved Egalet Corp's long-acting opioid painkiller, Arymo ER.

An independent panel to the U.S. FDA in August voted 18-1 in favor of approval and recommended the drug be labeled as an abuse-deterrent product by the intravenous, nasal and oral routes of abuse. http://bit.ly/2jv97Ld

The abuse of opioids - a class of drugs that include heroin and prescription painkillers - has long been a concern. An overdose can cause euphoric highs and even disrupt parts of the brain that control breathing.

Lawmakers across the United States are seeking ways to stem the opioid epidemic, which kills 78 Americans every day, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.

(Reporting by Dipika Jain in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)