HSP

Hospira to Increase its Non-DEHP Medical Device Portfolio by 50 Percent LAKE FOREST, Ill., Sept. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Hospira, Inc. (NYSE:HSP) today announced that it will be adding more than 40 new infusion therapy medication delivery sets to its offering of non-DEHP (non-di(2- ethylhexyl) phthalate) flexible medical devices by early 2005 -- increasing the company's non-DEHP portfolio by 50 percent from just two years ago. As part of Hospira's efforts to expand its already broad medication delivery product line, the company recently launched 26 new non-DEHP sets, bringing the current offering to approximately 80 non-DEHP products. Hospira is one of the leading suppliers of infusion therapy products in the United States. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, or DEHP, is a plasticizer or softener commonly used in the manufacture of medical products such as intravenous (I.V.) bags and sets that help administer medications and solutions. The use of DEHP in medical products has been an industry standard for more than 40 years due to its compatibility with a variety of medications as well as its flexibility, cost-effectiveness, clarity and sterilizability. A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) public health notification suggests the use of non-DEHP medical devices in certain identified applications where the potential for incompatibility with DEHP could exist. Hospira's expanded offering can help hospitals align with the recommendations in the FDA notification by providing non-DEHP medication delivery sets designed for use with neonates, and additional options for use with blood, and drugs and solutions that contain lipid (fat) -- all of which are product areas identified in the notification. Historically, Hospira has marketed a variety of non-DEHP medication delivery sets and accessories. The company's recent introduction of additional non-DEHP options and its pledge to continue to expand its portfolio underscore Hospira's commitment to provide a broad product selection for hospitals. "Hospira customers and their patients now have access to one of the broadest offerings of medication delivery sets in the industry," said John Arnott, senior vice president, Global Commercial Operations, Hospira. "We will continue to expand our product line to provide additional options to our customers." By early 2005, Hospira will have more than 700 medication delivery sets in its portfolio, including approximately 120 non-DEHP product options. In developing its next generation of medical products, Hospira continues to actively evaluate new materials and process technology, including alternatives to DEHP-containing products. No one material has all of the properties required for the existing range of drugs and applications. Hospira is also investing in the development of additional alternatives to DEHP-containing medical products that will offer innovation and value to customers and patients through additional product features and a focus on enhancing performance. The medication delivery sets in Hospira's expanded non-DEHP product line are manufactured with the plasticizer TOTM (tri-octyl trimellitate). Although less common than DEHP, TOTM is an FDA-accepted material that has been used for decades in the manufacture of medical devices. Hospira's non-DEHP medical products are labeled appropriately in the company's print catalog and posted on the Hospira Web site. For more information on Hospira's non-DEHP offering, please visit the Clinical Resources section of http://www.hospira.com/ . About Hospira Hospira, Inc. is a global specialty pharmaceutical and medication delivery company dedicated to Advancing Wellness(TM) by developing, manufacturing and marketing products that help improve the safety and efficacy of patient care. Created from the core global hospital products business of Abbott Laboratories, Hospira is a new company with 70 years of service to the hospital industry. The company's portfolio includes one of the industry's broadest lines of generic acute-care injectables, integrated solutions for medication management and infusion therapy, and a full-service contract manufacturing business. Headquartered in Lake Forest, Ill., north of Chicago, Hospira has more than 14,000 employees and 15 manufacturing facilities worldwide. Hospira's news releases and other information can be found at http://www.hospira.com/ . Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 -- A Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements Some statements in this news release may be forward-looking statements for purposes of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. 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, technological and other factors that may affect Hospira's operations and may cause actual results to be materially different from expectations include the risks and uncertainties set forth in the information statement under the heading "Risk Factors" in the most recent version of the Form 10 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. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040503/HSPLOGO http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Hospira, Inc. CONTACT: Media, Tareta Adams, +1-224-212-2535, or Stacey Eisen, +1-224-212-2276, or Financial Community, Lynn McHugh, +1-224-212-2363, all of Hospira Web site: http://www.hospira.com/

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