Abbott Laboratories' Ross Products Division announced the launch of Alimentum Advance as the first Protein Hydrolysate Formula With Iron in the United States to be supplemented with DHA and ARA, two fatty acids that are important for brain and visual development. These two fatty acids – DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and ARA (arachidonic acid) – are found in small amounts in breast milk. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has completed its review and Alimentum Advance is expected to be available beginning this summer in a ready-to-feed form.

Alimentum Advance is a nutritionally complete, hypoallergenic formula for infants with severe food allergies or colic due to protein sensitivity. Alimentum Advance is also appropriate for infants and children who have difficulty digesting protein or absorbing fat. While the incidence of protein sensitivity is relatively low, infants with severe food allergies are often unable to tolerate standard infant formulas. Alimentum Advance provides all the benefits of the protein hydrolysate formula, Alimentum, which has been clinically shown to be better tolerated and provide greater fat and calcium absorption than the other leading product.

Abbott's Ross Products Division offers a broad line of infant formula products that are supplemented with DHA and ARA. Alimentum Advance is available for infants and children with severe food allergies and sensitivity to intact protein. For infants needing a soy-based formula, Isomil Advance is offered. Similac Advance With Iron is a milk-based formula for term infants. The company also offers three preterm infant formulas, NeoSure Advance, Similac Special Care Advance and Similac Natural Care Advance, all supplemented with DHA and ARA.

Abbott's Ross Products supports optimal infant nutrition and along with the American Academy of Pediatrics and other health care professionals promotes breastfeeding as the best source of infant nutrition. If a mother cannot or chooses not to breastfeed or wishes to supplement breastfeeding, then an iron fortified infant formula is recommended. The goal of Abbott's Ross Products is to have its formulas perform as close to the gold standard of breast milk as possible.