LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) -- Drug and medication delivery systems company Hospira Inc. said Wednesday it bought TheraDoc, which makes monitoring and screening devices used to track and respond to infectious diseases.
Terms of the purchase were not disclosed. Hospira said TheraDoc's main products are Infection Control Assistant, which monitors hospital-acquired infections and provides alerts and analysis, and Antibiotic Assistant, which is intended to help physicians identify infections and prescribe the right antibiotics.
Hospital-acquired infections are viral or bacterial diseases that set in while patients are already receiving treatment. They can include dangerous and drug resistant diseases like the MRSA "super bug."
Citing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hospira said there are 1.7 million hospital-acquired infections in the U.S. per year, and 99,000 deaths.
In afternoon trading, Hospira shares rose 53 cents to $48.43. The stock earlier traded at $48.65, eclipsing a previous 52-week high of $48.25 set Nov. 11.