ABBOTT LABORATORIES

The company is a global, diversified health care firm engaged in the discovery of new medicines, technologies and ways to manage health. It was founded by Dr. Wallace C. Abbott in 1888 as the Abbott Alkaloidal Company. Its research centers are located in Abbott Park and North Chicago, Illinois; Parsippany, New Jersey; Worcester, Massachusetts; and in Ludwigshafen, Germany.The company offers pharmaceutical, nutritional, diagnostic and medical products in more than 130 countries worldwide. Its pharmaceutical products include treatments for people with HIV; therapies for sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis; drugs for the treatment of people with migraines, epilepsy and mania associated with bipolar disorder; antibiotics; and specialized medicines for managing obesity, thyroid disease, high cholesterol and hypertension.The company offers infant, adult and healthy living nutritional products such as Similac, Ensure, Glucerna, AdvantEdge, Body-for-LIFE and ZonePerfect. In addition to these brands, the company offers medical nutritional products and feeding devices for patients with special dietary needs due to injury or illnesses such as cancer, respiratory conditions and food allergies. Its medical diagnostic instruments and tests are used worldwide in hospitals, reference labs, blood banks, physician offices, clinics and at home to diagnose a range of serious health issues such as infectious diseases, cancer, diabetes and genetic conditions, as well as monitor other important indicators of health. The company's molecular diagnostics help physicians detect genetic mutations in patients' genes and chromosomes to detect and manage disease. Hand-held point of care diagnostics and blood glucose monitoring devices provide health care professionals and patients with fast, convenient and accurate test results.The company provides medical and surgical devices such as vessel closure devices, carotid and coronary stents, catheters and other interventional tools and devices. It has also a growing line of specialized technologies for treating people with spinal diseases and injuries includes minimally invasive spinal fixation products.In animal health, the company serves the veterinary market with anesthetic and wound care products, nutritional supplements, and intravenous sets and solutions.