Hospira gets OK to market generic Taxotere

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Hospira has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration for a generic cancer treatment.

Hospira will offer 20-mg, 80-mg and 160-mg vials of docetaxel at a 10-mg/mL concentration. Docetaxel is a generic version of Sanofi-Aventis's Taxotere.

Hospira already markets docetaxel in Europe and Australia, the drug maker noted.

"Hospira's docetaxel will give U.S. cancer patients access to a high-quality, lower-cost alternative to the branded product, [will offer] a differentiated delivery system designed to enhance caregiver safety and [will reinforce] Hospira's commitment to meet patient and caregiver needs in the oncology space," said Thomas Moore, president, U.S. for Hospira.

U.S. sales of Taxotere were approximately $1.2 billion in 2010, Hospira said.