LAKE FOREST, Ill., March 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Hospira, Inc.
(NYSE: HSP), the world leader in generic injectable
pharmaceuticals, today announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) approval of docetaxel. The medication is a generic version of
Sanofi-Aventis's Taxotere®, and Hospira expects to launch the
product later this month.
Hospira's docetaxel is approved for the treatment of a variety
of cancers. In 2010, U.S. sales of Taxotere were approximately
$1.2 billion.
Unlike original product formulations that require healthcare
workers to take a two-step process prior to infusion, Hospira's
docetaxel comes in a single-vial formulation that is designed to
reduce the number of handling steps in the preparation of the
product.
"Hospira's docetaxel will give U.S. cancer patients access to a
high-quality, lower-cost alternative to the branded product, offers
a differentiated delivery system designed to enhance caregiver
safety, and reinforces Hospira's commitment to meet patient and
caregiver needs in the oncology space," said Thomas Moore, president, U.S., Hospira.
Hospira will offer 20 mg, 80 mg and 160 mg vials of docetaxel at
a 10 mg/mL concentration, the original concentration that customers
have used safely for many years. Hospira already markets docetaxel
in Europe and Australia.
Hospira's specialty injectable pharmaceuticals (SIP) offering
includes approximately 200 generic injectable drugs in many dosages
and formulations. In addition, many of its products are available
in popular differentiated presentations, several of which are
proprietary, such as ADD-Vantage™ drug delivery system and iSecure™
prefilled syringes. Therapeutic segments include analgesia,
anesthesia, anti-infectives, cardiovascular, oncology, emergency
and other areas. Hospira also has robust pipelines of both generic
and biosimilar drugs.
About Hospira
Hospira, Inc. is a global specialty pharmaceutical and
medication delivery company dedicated to Advancing Wellness™. As
the world leader in specialty generic injectable pharmaceuticals,
Hospira offers one of the broadest portfolios of generic acute-care
and oncology injectables, as well as integrated infusion therapy
and medication management solutions. Through its products, Hospira
helps improve the safety, cost and productivity of patient care.
The company is headquartered in Lake
Forest, Ill., and has approximately 14,000 employees. Learn
more at www.hospira.com.
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 --
A Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995, including statements regarding the growth opportunities for
generic specialty injectable products. Hospira cautions that these
forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties
that may cause actual results to differ materially from those
indicated in the forward-looking statements. Economic, competitive,
governmental, legal, regulatory, technological and other factors
that may affect Hospira's operations and may cause actual results
to be materially different from expectations include the risks,
uncertainties and factors discussed under the headings "Risk
Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations" in Hospira's latest Annual
Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, which are incorporated by reference. Hospira undertakes
no obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking
statements as the result of subsequent events or
developments.
SOURCE Hospira, Inc.