Abbott Introduces New, Easier-to-Use and More Accurate Line of FreeStyle Test Strips in Europe

New FreeStyle(R) and FreeStyle Lite(R) Test Strips Offer a Better Testing Experience and Minimize Interference

STUTTGART, Germany, May 14, 2010 - Abbott (NYSE: ABT) today announced European availability of its new
generation of FreeStyle(R) and FreeStyle Lite(R) blood glucose test strips at
the 45th Annual Meeting of the German Diabetes Society
(www.deutsche-diabetes-gesellschaft.de/jahrestagung2010/ ) (DDG). The
new FreeStyle line of test strips features a new, easier-to-use ZipWik*
design tapered test strip that offers a better blood glucose testing
experience.(1),(2) The new test strips are designed to ensure faster blood
application, to reduce the number of error messages and wasted test strips,
and to deliver a significantly improved level of accuracy.

"The new FreeStyle line of test strips represents Abbott's latest success
in delivering innovative products for people living with diabetes," said
Heather L. Mason, senior vice president, Abbott Diabetes Care. "By providing
a better testing experience and achieving greater levels of accuracy, Abbott
is delivering on what patients and health care professionals demand in
diabetes care, especially for people who use insulin to manage their
diabetes."

The new FreeStyle line of test strips is compatible with all FreeStyle
blood glucose monitoring systems, eliminating the need to switch meters. The
new test strips also offer all the same benefits FreeStyle users have come to
expect, specifically: no-coding required, the world's smallest blood sample
size and virtually pain-free testing.

New FreeStyle Line of Test Strips Achieves New Level of Accuracy

The new FreeStyle line of test strips is the most accurate ever produced
by Abbott and capable of meeting a tighter accuracy standard than exists
today.(3)

The new test strips produce finger-stick blood glucose test results such
that 95 percent of results fall within:

    - Plus or minus 15 percent of the true glucose value for glucose values
      equal to or greater than 5,6 millimoles/liter (mmol/L); and,
    - Plus or minus 0,56 mmol/L of the true glucose value for glucose values
      less than 5,6 mmol/L.(4)

This improved level of accuracy provides added confidence for health care
professionals and people with diabetes when managing diabetes and dosing
insulin.

The new FreeStyle and FreeStyle Lite test strips do not use the
GDH-PQQ(5) enzyme, which can be affected by common non-glucose sugars. The
new FreeStyle line of test strips uses the GDH-FAD(6) enzyme, which is
unaffected by common non-glucose sugars, such as maltose or galactose, and
minimizes the potential for interference.(7)

European CE Mark (Conformite Europeenne) approval for the new FreeStyle
and FreeStyle Lite blood glucose test strips was obtained in October 2009.
The new test strips are now available to customers in Belgium, Denmark,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Over the coming months,
the new strips will be available to customers in Australia, Israel and
Norway. Abbott submitted 510(k) applications to the FDA in August 2009 for
the new FreeStyle and FreeStyle Lite test strips.

    Related Resources and Links
    Abbott Diabetes Care - Netherlands: www.abbottdiabetescare.nl/
    Abbott Diabetes Care - UK:
    www.abbottdiabetescare.co.uk/newfreestylelite
    Abbott Diabetes Care: www.abbottdiabetescare.com
    Abbott Germany: www.abbott.de
    Abbott: www.abbott.com

About Abbott Diabetes Care

Abbott Diabetes Care, based in Alameda, California, is a leader in
developing, manufacturing and marketing glucose monitoring systems designed
to help people better manage their diabetes. Additional information about
Abbott Diabetes Care may be found at www.abbottdiabetescare.com.

About Abbott

Abbott is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the
discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals and
medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics. The
company employs approximately 83,000 people and markets its products in more
than 130 countries.

Abbott's news releases and other information are available on the
company's Web site at www.abbott.com.

    * ZipWik is a trademark of the Abbott Group of companies in various
      jurisdictions.

    (1) Home Testing of the Omni Glucose Test Strip by Lay Users in 2008,
        Abbott Diabetes Care, Data on file, Alameda, CA, USA.
    (2) Versus original FreeStyle brand test strips.
    (3) The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) specifies
        the requirements for home use blood glucose monitoring systems in
        ISO standard 15197.
    (4) Accuracy of Four Blood Glucose Monitoring Systems, 2009, Abbott
        Diabetes Care, Data on file, Alameda, CA, USA.
    (5) Glucose dehydrogenase pyrroloquinoline quinine
    (6) Glucose dehydrogenase flavin adenine dinucleotide
    (7) The new FreeStyle brand of test strips is not affected by interfering
        substances, including oxygen, uric acid, aspirin and paracetamol.

Media, Gregory Miley, +1-510-239-2761, or Financial Community, Tina Ventura, +1-847-935-9390, both of Abbott