Abbott Highlights Strong Corporate Responsibility Performance With Release of 2008 Global Citizens...( Company's Report Outlines Strategic C...),Health

Company's Report Outlines Strategic Citizenship Priorities: Innovating for the Future, Enhancing Access, Safeguarding the Environment and Protecting Patients and Consumers

ABBOTT PARK, Ill., April 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Abbott today announced the release of its 2008 Global Citizenship Report entitled, "Advancing Innovation." The report provides an update on Abbott's progress and results in 2008 in delivering on the company's mission to improve people's lives around the world, focused on four key areas: innovating for the future, enhancing access, safeguarding the environment, and protecting patients and consumers.

"We appreciate this opportunity to share news of our continued progress in addressing the most important impacts that our company makes in our world," said Miles D. White, chairman and chief executive officer, Abbott. "These are the areas in which our business has the greatest effects on society and the environment, and which offer us the greatest opportunity to make a difference in the challenges facing our world today."

Key highlights of Abbott's citizenship work in 2008 include:

• Innovating for the Future - Abbott invested $2.7 billion in research and development, helping its more than 7,000 scientists to bring forward nine significant new product approvals across all of its businesses, including medical products, nutritionals and pharmaceuticals.
• Enhancing Access - As part of its core business strategy and in partnership with others, Abbott made significant progress in helping people around the world to gain access to medicine and health care. A few examples of this work: Abbott provided more than 155,000 patients with free
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