Abbott Laboratories

Performance in the 2026 Benchmark

Mid-performing. Although Abbott has room for improvement in Responsible Manufacturing due to a lack of information on compliance with discharge limits, it shows Best Practice by providing hands-on support to its suppliers for managing antibiotic waste from manufacturing. It is mid-performing in Appropriate Access & Stewardship, where it implements appropriate access and stewardship strategies for all nine products assessed but registers its products in fewer countries than other assessed generic medicine manufacturers. 

Opportunities for Abbott

Expand appropriate access to its Watch antibiotics in LMICs. Abbott has appropriate access strategies in place for all nine of its off-patent products assessed in India. However, registration of its Watch antibiotics, ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin – the only products assessed for which it holds marketing authorisation – is limited to only two LMICs, on average. Abbott can further expand access to these much-needed antibiotics by registering them in additional LMICs and subsequently implementing appropriate access strategies in those markets, leveraging the approach used in India.

Scale up its responsible sales practices and strengthen its governance of interactions with healthcare professionals (HCPs). Abbott reports responsible sales practices in one country, as it does not promote a number of its off-patent antibacterial and antifungal products. To ensure company-wide responsible sales practices, the company has an opportunity to scale up this practice – either across medicines or across countries – or to fully decouple incentives from sales volume targets where it deploys sales agents. Moreover, Abbott can strengthen its public policy governing interactions with HCPs – and thereby address appropriate use of its antimicrobials – by including provisions on the legitimate need for these interactions and mitigating potential conflicts of interest, specifically between employees and HCPs.

Ensure compliance with discharge limits directly in wastewater and improve transparency on levels of compliance achieved. Abbott publicly reports setting discharge limits in the receiving environment at its own and suppliers’ sites, implementing mass balance estimations. To further safeguard AMR risk from antimicrobial manufacturing, it can publicly report compliance with discharge limits directly in wastewater for all its own and suppliers’ sites – a step beyond its current practice of setting discharge limits in receiving waters – in line with the ‘stringent’ WHO guidance.

Changes since November 2023 update report on previous Benchmark opportunities

Aside from examples covered within the 2026 AMR Benchmark report analysis, no notable updates can be reported for Abbott since the AMR Benchmark Opportunities: Company progress since 2021, which was published in 2023.

Sales & Operations

• Therapeutic areas: Cardiovascular, diabetes, gastroenterology, influenza, oncology, pain & central neuroscience, respiratory diseases, women’s health

• Product categories: Diagnostics, generic medicines & biosimilars, medical devices, vaccines

• Investments in AMR: No notable investments identified.

• M&A news: None identified in the antibacterial and/or antifungal sectors

Sample of portfolio assessed by the Benchmark

Performance by Research Area

Responsible Manufacturing

Low-performing. Reports an environmental risk management strategy aimed at mitigating AMR at both its own and suppliers’ sites. It does not report whether its own and suppliers’ sites meet discharge limits. However, Abbott’s incorporation of AMR provisions into supplier contracts, and its hands-on approach to supporting suppliers’ wastewater management practices, are highlighted as Best Practice in the Benchmark. It publicly discloses its quantification methods but not the level of compliance achieved across its supply chain. 

Mitigates AMR risk at both its own sites and its suppliers’ sites; tracks compliance of antibacterials with discharge limits. Abbott’s environmental risk management strategy is based on an internal standard. It estimates antibacterial discharges at its own sites using mass balance; if PNECs are exceeded, chemical analysis is performed for verification and CAPAs are implemented. Abbott does not report the total number of antibacterial APIs and drug products manufactured at its own sites that comply with discharge limits. It reports requiring its suppliers to use estimation methods recommended by the PSCI, including mass balance estimations and discharge limits based on PNECs. It has contractual provisions requiring suppliers to comply with these limits and conducts supplier audits. However, Abbott does not report on the number of antibacterials manufactured by its suppliers that comply with discharge limits. Although Abbott reports primarily operating its own internal wastewater treatment plants, in the limited cases where it works with external wastewater treatment plants it employs measures to treat the antibacterial wastewater it sends to minimise AMR risk.   

Publicly discloses basic details of its AMR mitigation strategy but is not transparent about compliance with discharge limits. Abbott publicly reports implementing an internal standard to quantify discharge levels including mass balance estimation, which is verified through chemical analysis if PNECs are exceeded. However, it does not publicly disclose audit results with the actual discharge levels, or the names and locations of its manufacturing sites for each manufactured antibacterial.  

Appropriate Access & Stewardship

Mid-performing. Performs well in implementing appropriate access and stewardship strategies for all nine products assessed and using a standardised methodology for calculating patient reach across its portfolio. It also does well in stewardship, as it considers appropriate use across its business practices. Abbott has a comprehensive approach to mitigate stockouts and shortages and ensures GMP compliance at own and suppliers’ sites. However, it can increase its registrations as it registers its products in fewer countries on average compared to peers. 

Abbott registers its off-patent medicines in fewer countries than its peers.  

Abbott registers its off-patent medicines in 2 countries.* No paediatric-specific products from the company were assessed. As Abbott’s off-patent Reserve antibiotics are licensed, the company cannot register these products and only commercialises them. Abbott does not report engaging in any mechanism to facilitate registrations for the products selected for analysis.

^{*All numbers in this statement are expressed as an average of the products selected for analysis and refer to registrations in the 113 countries in scope for ‘access metrics’.}

Above-average performance, with both access and stewardship strategies for all 9 off-patent/generic products assessed, and outcomes reported for 6. Abbott reports implementing access strategies for all 9 products assessed in India. The company demonstrates efforts in expanding access in the public sector by participating in annual public tenders – which are usually awarded based on the lowest price – for 6 products. For 4 of these, Abbott reports being awarded the tender as the sole supplier. The company has a standardised methodology to monitor its access strategies across its portfolio. For 6 of the 9 products, outcomes of the strategies are reported as doses supplied during the period of analysis; no data is shared for the other 3 products. For all 9 products, stewardship strategies only focus on responsible promotion and sales strategies, lacking engagement in surveillance or diagnostic activities.   

Strong efforts to mitigate stockouts systems. Strong reported evidence of systems to ensure product quality. Abbott reports the details of its demand planning and forecasting efforts under an NDA. It mitigates shortage risks by keeping a buffer stock for critical APIs and finished products. Inventory levels are monitored daily using an automated planning system and demand tool that calculates how long stocks will last. Based on shortage risks, it reallocates products by adjusting safety stock levels. It implements a diversified sourcing strategy for its critical antibacterial and antifungal medicines to ensure alternative suppliers are available. In India, products are sourced from multiple upstream sites to reduce disruption risks. It mitigates substandard and falsified products by verifying suppliers through GMP audits, reporting all its own and suppliers’ sites are GMP compliant, reporting cases to relevant stakeholders, and conducting monthly quality reviews and awareness campaigns. It is unclear whether the company takes additional mitigation steps in countries with evolving regulatory systems. 

Includes elements to address appropriate use across its business practices. Abbott partly decouples incentives for its sales agents from sales volume targets. However, it does not report the proportion of variable pay it links to sales volume targets, the level at which sales targets are set, nor does it specify any other measures that are linked to incentives. Abbott’s sales agents promote a broad portfolio of products to HCPs, which includes antibacterial and antifungal medicines. In one country in scope of the Benchmark, Abbott does not actively promote certain antibacterial and antifungal medicines. Through its global public policy, Abbott ensures ethical interactions with HCPs, and for certain interactions it sets limits and ensures transfers of value (ToVs) are made at fair market value. While Abbott abides by disclosure requirements, it does not voluntarily disclose ToVs publicly in countries where it is not mandated by law, or by other codes of practice. Abbott’s global policy defines equal requirements for third parties working on its behalf. However, it is unclear if this is also the case for its sales incentive plan.