Hospira reports positive trends during 2013 business year

Hospira has announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year periods of 2013, during which it made significant progress towards its long-term strategic goals.

The company's adjusted net sales total for the full year came to $4.1 billion (2.46 billion pounds), up by 0.4 percent on last year, despite a 1.3 percent year-on-year decline in its fourth quarter sales figure of $1.1 billion.

Its earnings per share total of $2.09 for the full year was at the higher end of projections, with strong specialty injectable pharmaceuticals growth shown to be the key driver of improvements during the year.

In 2014, Hospira will continue to invest in quality-improvement efforts, pipeline expansion, biosimilar research and facility modernisation in order to support future growth.

Michael Ball, chief executive officer of Hospira, said: "We believe our quality-improvement efforts and growth initiatives are positioning Hospira for a stronger, more competitive future, driving sustainable growth and value to our shareholders."

The company is the world's leading provider of injectable drugs and infusion technologies, operating in more than 70 countries across five continents.