Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) is the largest company in the nutritional products market and the second largest company in the worldwide market for diagnostic products. The company manufactures a number of nutritional and pharmaceutical products, laboratory diagnostics, pharmaceutical therapies and medical devices, including the arthritis medication Humira and the coronary stent Xience. In FY 2010, Abbott generated revenues of $35.17B and net earnings of $4.6B.^[1]

Abbott and the rest of the pharmaceutical industry are continually under pressure from expiring patents. Patent expiration allows generic drug companies to lower prices for a certain medication by producing their own versions, increasing competition for that product's market.

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