Hospira to streamline medical device portfolio

Hospira has announced that it will be streamlining its medical device portfolio over the coming years, phasing out a number of older offerings and replacing them with newer technology.

In the next two to three years, the company will retire its Symbiq infusion device and older legacy Plum pumps, as well as its GemStar ambulatory pumps and previous-generation patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pumps.

Replacing these products will be a new line-up that includes the Plum A Plus, Sapphire and LifeCare PCA pumps, while Hospira will also be investing more funding into developing further next-generation advances in this field.

Moreover, the company is keen to invest in actions that will strengthen its global device quality systems and promote continuous improvement, helping it to better meet evolving regulatory standards.

Richard Davies, chief commercial officer at Hospira, said: "We will reduce complexity, improve performance and be better positioned to meet the expectations of customers and regulatory agencies today, while developing tomorrow's next-generation technologies."

During the first quarter of 2013, the company delivered an adjusted net sales total of $988.3 million (634.84 million pounds), which was up by two percent year-on-year, in line with internal expectations.