Hospira
Former American pharmaceutical and medical-device company specializing in generic injectable medicines, infusion products, and medication-management systems.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Hospira was an American pharmaceutical and medical-device company headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois. It was created in 2004 through the separation of Abbott Laboratories’ hospital-products division and became one of the most important suppliers of generic injectable medicines for hospitals and other acute-care settings. Its portfolio included generic injectable drugs, oncology medicines, anesthesia and pain-management products, intravenous solutions, infusion systems, and medication-management technologies. The company’s roots were in Abbott’s hospital-products business, but its independent identity was designed around a broad healthcare mission. The name Hospira was selected through an employee vote and was associated with ideas conveyed by “hospital,” “spirit,” “inspire,” and the Latin word “spero,” meaning hope. At its formation on May 3, 2004, Hospira had approximately 14,000 employees and 14 manufacturing sites, with estimated annual sales of about $2.5 billion. Hospira expanded through acquisitions and portfolio development. In 2007 it bought Mayne Pharma, an Australian specialty-injectables company, significantly strengthening its international injectable-drug operations. In 2009 it acquired the biotechnology business of Pliva-Croatia, the generic injectable-pharmaceutical business of Orchid Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals, and TheraDoc, a clinical-informatics company focused on hospital surveillance systems. In 2010 it acquired Javelin Pharmaceuticals, adding Dyloject, a postoperative pain-management medicine, to its commercial portfolio. Before its acquisition, Hospira was widely described as the world’s largest producer of generic injectable pharmaceuticals. Its customers included hospitals, clinics, home-healthcare providers, and long-term-care facilities. The company also competed in infusion therapy and medication-management systems, linking its pharmaceutical business with equipment and software used in clinical administration. In 2014, worldwide sales were approximately $4.5 billion, although that figure belongs to Hospira as an independent company and is not a current standalone result. Hospira faced several regulatory, legal, ethical, and product-safety issues. Its manufacture of sodium thiopental, marketed under the Pentothal name, became controversial because the medicine was used in lethal-injection protocols in some United States jurisdictions. In 2011, after production had been transferred from North Carolina to Italy, Hospira announced that it would stop making the product. The decision followed discussions with Italian authorities, who required safeguards against use in capital punishment; Hospira said it did not support the use of its products in executions. The company also encountered patent litigation over generic oxaliplatin, a colon-cancer treatment originally developed by Sanofi-Aventis. In 2010, Hospira agreed to stop selling its United States oxaliplatin injection temporarily under a settlement that allowed for a possible later relaunch. Separately, security researchers and regulators identified serious vulnerabilities in firmware used by certain Hospira patient-controlled analgesia infusion systems. FDA communications in 2015 warned healthcare providers about the risks and later recommended discontinuing use of affected pumps. Pfizer agreed to acquire Hospira in 2015 in a transaction valued at approximately $17 billion. The acquisition was completed on September 3, 2015, ending Hospira’s existence as an independent publicly traded company. Pfizer subsequently sold Hospira’s medical-device operations to ICU Medical in 2016 for a package of cash, stock, and other consideration reported at approximately $900 million. Hospira’s pharmaceutical assets and trade name continued to be used within Pfizer’s organization. During the COVID-19 vaccine rollout from 2020 to 2022, Pfizer referred to Hospira, Inc. in connection with the supply of 0.9% sodium chloride injection used as a diluent for the…
History
Hospira originated as Abbott Laboratories’ hospital-products division. Abbott announced in January 2004 that it would spin the division off as a separate company. Employees selected the Hospira name through an internal vote; the name was intended to evoke hospitals, healthcare spirit, inspiration, and hope. The new company became independent on May 3, 2004, with approximately 14,000 employees, 14 manufacturing sites, and estimated annual sales of about $2.5 billion. The independent business focused on hospital pharmaceuticals and related clinical technologies. Its main pharmaceutical activities involved generic injectable products used in acute care, oncology, anesthesia, pain management, and intravenous therapy. It also supplied infusion systems and medication-management technologies for hospitals and alternate-site providers, including clinics, home-healthcare organizations, and long-term-care facilities. Hospira pursued international expansion through acquisitions. In 2007 it purchased Mayne Pharma, an Australian specialty-injectables company, for approximately $2.1 billion. In 2009 it acquired the biotechnology business of Pliva-Croatia, Orchid Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals’ generic injectable-pharmaceutical business, and TheraDoc, a clinical-informatics company developing hospital-surveillance systems. In 2010 it bought Javelin Pharmaceuticals, whose portfolio included the postoperative pain product Dyloject. These transactions broadened Hospira’s geographic footprint and added capabilities in specialty medicines, information systems, and pain management. Leadership changed during a period of continued expansion. Christopher Begley announced his retirement as chief executive in 2010 but remained as executive chairman for a period. Mike Ball was selected as chief executive in 2011 and assumed the position in March of that year. John Staley later became non-executive chairman in 2012 after Begley’s retirement from the chairmanship. Hospira’s operations also generated legal and ethical controversies. After introducing a generic oxaliplatin injection in 2009, the company reached a settlement with Sanofi-Aventis in 2010 concerning the product’s United States sales. Hospira agreed to withdraw the injection by June 30, 2010, subject to a provision concerning a possible relaunch in August 2012. The company’s sodium-thiopental business created a separate ethical issue because the anesthetic was used in lethal-injection procedures in some American states. Hospira stated that it opposed capital punishment use of its products. After production moved from North Carolina to Italy, Italian authorities required controls designed to prevent the drug from reaching execution programs. Hospira concluded that it could not provide an adequate guarantee and announced in January 2011 that it would cease production. In 2014 and 2015, independent security researchers identified major flaws in firmware controlling certain Hospira patient-controlled analgesia infusion pumps. The vulnerabilities included remotely exploitable defects and prompted an FDA safety communication, described as an early regulatory action involving medical-device cybersecurity. In July 2015, the FDA recommended that hospitals discontinue use of the affected pumps, adding a significant safety and reputational challenge to Hospira’s medical-device business. Pfizer agreed in 2015 to acquire Hospira in a transaction valued at approximately $17 billion. The deal closed on September 3, 2015, and Hospira ceased to operate as an independent public company. Pfizer retained and integrated the pharmaceutical operations, while the medical-device portion was later sold to ICU Medical in 2016 for approximately $900 million in cash, stock, and other consideration. Hospira’s name continued to appear as a Pfizer trade name. From 2020 through 2022, Hospira, Inc. was referenced as a supplier of 0.9% sodium chloride injection used as a diluent for the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
- 2020
Saline diluent supply for COVID-19 vaccination
[1]Hospira, Inc. was referenced as a supplier of saline injection used as a diluent for the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
- 2016
Medical-device business sold to ICU Medical
[1]Pfizer divested the medical-devices portion of Hospira to ICU Medical.
- 2015
Pfizer acquisition completed
[1]Pfizer completed its acquisition of Hospira on September 3, 2015.
- 2011
Sodium-thiopental production discontinued
[1]Hospira announced that it would stop manufacturing sodium thiopental following difficulty guaranteeing that the product would not be used in executions.
- 2010
Javelin Pharmaceuticals acquisition
[1]Hospira acquired Javelin Pharmaceuticals and added Dyloject to its pain-management portfolio.
- 2009
Expansion into biotechnology, generics, and clinical informatics
[1]The company completed acquisitions involving Pliva-Croatia, Orchid’s generic injectable business, and TheraDoc.
- 2007
Mayne Pharma acquisition
[1]Hospira acquired Australian specialty-injectables company Mayne Pharma, strengthening its international injectable-drug business.
- 2004
Hospira becomes an independent company
[1]Hospira was separated from Abbott Laboratories’ hospital-products division and began independent operations on May 3, 2004.
Products and positioning
Hospira positioned itself as a hospital-focused healthcare supplier combining affordable generic injectable medicines with infusion therapy and medication-management technologies. Its principal value proposition was reliable supply of essential acute-care and oncology products for institutional providers and alternate-care settings.
Generic medicines
Generic injectable pharmaceuticals
Hospira’s core portfolio consisted of generic injectable medicines for hospital and alternate-site care. These products addressed acute-care treatment, oncology, anesthesia, pain management, and other situations in which medicines are administered parenterally. The business emphasized broad institutional distribution and manufacturing scale rather than consumer branding.
Anesthetic
Pentothal (sodium thiopental)
Pentothal was Hospira’s branded form of sodium thiopental, an anesthetic with roots in Abbott Laboratories’ earlier pharmaceutical research. Although the medicine was recognized as an essential drug, its use in lethal-injection protocols created sustained ethical and supply controversy. Hospira announced in 2011 that it would discontinue production.
Pain management
Dyloject
Dyloject was a postoperative pain-management medicine obtained through Hospira’s 2010 acquisition of Javelin Pharmaceuticals. It represented Hospira’s effort to broaden its specialty-injectables portfolio beyond hospital generic products.
Oncology medicine · 2009
Generic oxaliplatin injection
Hospira introduced a generic injectable version of oxaliplatin, a chemotherapy medicine originally developed by Sanofi-Aventis for colorectal cancer treatment. Sales in the United States were later addressed through a legal settlement requiring withdrawal by June 2010, with terms concerning a potential future relaunch.
Medical devices and healthcare technology
Infusion therapy and medication-management systems
Hospira supplied infusion equipment, patient-controlled analgesia systems, and medication-management technologies used in clinical environments. These products complemented its injectable-drug business, but certain pump systems became the subject of 2015 FDA cybersecurity warnings. Pfizer later sold the medical-device operations to ICU Medical.
Intravenous solution and vaccine diluent
0.9% sodium chloride injection
Hospira, Inc. was referenced by Pfizer during the COVID-19 vaccination period as a supplier of 0.9% sodium chloride injection used as a diluent for the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine. This activity occurred after Hospira’s acquisition and reflects continued use of the Hospira trade name within Pfizer.
Controversies
2015
Infusion-pump cybersecurity vulnerabilities
Researchers identified serious firmware vulnerabilities in certain Hospira patient-controlled analgesia infusion systems. FDA advisories warned of the risks and later recommended that healthcare providers stop using affected pumps.
2011
Sodium thiopental and capital punishment controversy
Hospira’s sodium-thiopental product was associated with lethal-injection protocols in some United States states. The company said it opposed capital-punishment use of its products and discontinued production after Italian authorities required safeguards against such use.
Brand decisions
2015
Accept Pfizer acquisitionM&ABackground
Hospira had become a major global supplier of generic injectable medicines and related hospital technologies.
Action taken
Hospira entered into an agreement to be acquired by Pfizer; the transaction was completed on September 3, 2015.
Aftermath
Hospira ceased to be an independent company. Pfizer integrated the pharmaceutical operations and later sold the medical-device business to ICU Medical.
Reported transaction value. (2015)
2011
End sodium-thiopental manufacturingStrategyBackground
Hospira manufactured sodium thiopental, a medicine used clinically as an anesthetic and in some lethal-injection protocols. After production moved to Italy, Italian authorities required a guarantee against capital-punishment use.
Action taken
The company decided to stop producing sodium thiopental because it concluded that it could not reliably prevent diversion to executions or protect its employees from related liability.
Aftermath
The decision ended Hospira’s production of the product and intensified wider discussion about pharmaceutical manufacturers’ involvement in execution protocols.
2010
Settle oxaliplatin litigationOtherBackground
Hospira’s generic oxaliplatin injection faced legal action from Sanofi-Aventis, the developer of the original oncology product.
Action taken
Hospira agreed to withdraw the product from United States sales by June 30, 2010, while retaining a contractual pathway concerning a possible later relaunch.
Aftermath
The settlement temporarily removed Hospira’s oxaliplatin injection from the United States market.
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