Hospira to Standardize Intravenous (I.V.) Administration Sets Portfolio to Non-DEHP

LAKE FOREST, Ill., May 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Hospira, Inc. (NYSE: HSP), a leading global specialty pharmaceutical and medication delivery company, will expand its commitment to non-DEHP (non-di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate) products by transitioning customers to its portfolio of non-DEHP intravenous (I.V.) administration sets. This effort reflects the company's focus on patient safety, increased customer efficiency and reduced impact on the environment, and coincides with the CleanMed global conference on environmentally sustainable healthcare, which took place this week in Baltimore.

"By transitioning to non-DEHP sets, Hospira contributes to a cleaner environment, maintains the highest level of patient safety and helps hospitals simplify their inventory management by standardizing Hospira's non-DEHP product line," said Thomas Moore, president, U.S., Hospira. "Our customers have made it clear that they want non-DEHP products, and we're committed to meet this need."

Hospira began introducing non-DEHP sets a number of years ago, and will continue over the next year, with the vast majority of DEHP sets to be discontinued by early 2011.

Hospira's customers appreciate the company's commitment. When Abington Memorial Hospital, a 665-bed regional teaching hospital in Abington, Pa., learned that Hospira offers cost-effective, environmentally friendly alternatives, the hospital jumped at the opportunity to transition to non-DEHP products. "The more we looked into it, the more we knew it was the right thing to do – for our patients and the environment," said Meg McGoldrick, chief operating officer, Abington Memorial Hospital.

Efforts to minimize the release of DEHP into the environment are becoming increasingly common among healthcare facilities. By transitioning to non-DEHP, Hospira is helping to play a part in maintaining a healthy environment.

For Hospira, standardizing its I.V. administration set product line to non-DEHP also fits well with the company's Project Fuel optimization initiative to reduce complexity across its product portfolio. Hospira will work with customers to ensure a smooth transition to non-DEHP products.

Background on DEHP

Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate), or DEHP, is a plasticizer or softener commonly used in the manufacture of medical products such as I.V. bags and sets used to 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 ease of sterilization.

In 2002, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a public health notification(1) recommending that alternatives to DEHP-plasticized devices be used in certain identified applications. Hospira's continued transition to non-DEHP will help hospitals align with the recommendations of 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.

The I.V. administration sets in Hospira's non-DEHP product line are manufactured with the plasticizer TOTM (tri-octyl trimellitate). TOTM has been used for decades in the manufacture of medical devices.

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 13,500 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 Hospira's goals and strategy. 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, 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 and subsequent Forms 10-Q 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.

(1) U.S. Food and Drug Administration Web site, FDA Public Health Notification: PVC devices containing the plasticizer DEHP, July 12, 2002: http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/Safety/AlertsandNotices/PublicHealthNotifications/UCM062182. Accessed March. 2, 2010

SOURCE Hospira, Inc.