Financial Review (5)

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

In December 2007, the FASB issued two standards: SFAS No. 141 (revised 2007) "Business Combinations" and SFAS No. 160 "Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements — an amendment of ARB No. 51." Abbott will adopt these standards on January 1, 2009. Statement No. 141 (revised 2007) will impact Abbott primarily in five areas: acquired in-process research and development will be accounted for as an indefinite lived intangible asset until approval or discontinuation rather than as expense; acquisition costs will be expensed rather than added to the cost of an acquisition; restructuring costs in connection with an acquisition will be expensed rather than added to the cost of an acquisition; the fair value of contingent consideration at the date of an acquisition will be included in the cost of an acquisition; and the fair value of contingent liabilities that are more likely than not of occurrence will be recorded at the date of an acquisition. The effect of these changes will be applicable to acquisitions on or after January 1, 2009. Adoption of Statement No. 160 will not have a material effect on Abbott.

Legislative Issues

In August 2006, the President of the United States signed the Pension Protection Act of 2006. Among other things, the Act establishes new minimum funding requirements for plan years beginning in 2008. Abbott does not expect this Act to significantly impact future fundings of its domestic defined benefit pension plans.

Abbott's primary markets are highly competitive and subject to substantial government regulation throughout the world. Abbott expects debate to continue over the availability, method of delivery, and payment for health care products and services. Abbott believes that if legislation is enacted, it could have the effect of reducing access to health care products and services, or reducing prices or the rate of price increases for health care products and services. It is not possible to predict the extent to which Abbott or the health care industry in general might be adversely affected by these factors in the future. A more complete discussion of these factors is contained in Item 1, Business, and Item 1A, Risk Factors on Form 10-K.

Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 — A Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Abbott cautions investors that any forward-looking statements or projections made by Abbott, including those made in this document, are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors that may affect Abbott's operations are discussed in 1A, Risk Factors, to the Annual Report on Form 10-K.