Hospira Inc, the world leader in generic injectable pharmaceuticals, has received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for a 10 gram vial of Sterile Vancomycin Hydrochloride USP, an anti-infective medication. This approval means Hospira now offers the most complete product portfolio of this important drug, which is an effective agent for fighting methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a common infection that is often resistant to other antibiotics.

"Hospira is proud to offer the broadest available product line of vancomycin, a critical medication in the anti-infective portfolio," said Joshua Gordon, vice president, Specialty Pharmaceuticals, Hospira. "Approval of Hospira's 10 gram vial of vancomycin closely follows the FDA's recent approval of our 750 milligram vial, and reinforces Hospira's commitment to meeting patient needs for high-quality, lower-cost alternatives to proprietary medications."

Hospira will begin shipping the product immediately.

Hospira now offers vancomycin in 500 milligram, 750 milligram, and 1 gram dosages; and in 5 gram and 10 gram pharmacy bulk packages. Additionally, Hospira's vancomycin dosages are available in its proprietary ADD-Vantage Drug Delivery System for the 500 milligram and 1 gram presentations.

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 formats, several of which are proprietary, such as its ADD-Vantage Drug Delivery System and iSecure prefilled syringes. Therapeutic segments include anaesthesia, anti-infectives, analgesics, cardiovascular, oncology, emergency and other areas. Hospira has approximately 25 generic drugs scheduled to launch in various regions around the world in 2009 and 2010.

Hospira is a global specialty pharmaceutical and medication delivery company dedicated to Advancing Wellness.