Hospira Inc, a leading global hospital products company, has announced the launch of ondansetron injection. The medication is the generic version of GlaxoSmithKline's Zofran, which posted 2005 US sales of more than $600 million.

Ondansetron is an anti emetic used for the prevention of nausea and vomiting caused by cancer chemotherapy and anesthesia/surgery. It is available from Hospira in a 4 mg single-dose vial and a 40 mg multiple-dose vial.

"Ondansetron represents the most widely used antiemetic in its class, and we will offer the generic version in a broad number of injectable delivery systems," said Thomas G Moore, vice president and general manager, Specialty Injectable Pharmaceuticals, Hospira. "This generic medication will provide customers with a less costly alternative to help improve the quality, safety and affordability of care."

Hospira will offer the only generic injectable ondansetron product portfolio that includes vials as well as a premix and a proprietary syringe (still pending review by the US Food and Drug Administration). The iSecure syringe is a prefilled, disposable and ready-to-use syringe that will provide convenience and efficiency for the administration of injectable medications.

To help hospitals reduce medication errors, Hospira also labels all of its injectable products with unit-of-use bar codes.

Hospira is the leading US supplier of generic injectable pharmaceuticals, offering more than 130 generic injectable products in more than 600 dosages and formulations. The company's broad portfolio includes products for cardiovascular, anesthesia, anti-infectives, analgesics, emergency and other therapeutic areas.

Generic specialty injectables, including biosimilars, will continue to be a large growth opportunity for Hospira. More than $5 billion worth of proprietary, small-molecule pharmaceuticals will face patent expiration in the United States by the end of the decade. Additionally, biosimilars represent a large, emerging market with a growing number of patents for proprietary biopharmaceuticals expiring. Overall, the company today has more than 40 generic products in development.

Hospira, Inc. is a global specialty pharmaceutical and medication delivery company dedicated to Advancing Wellness by developing, manufacturing and marketing products that help improve the productivity, safety and efficacy of patient care.