Abbott's Labs Are Vital(TM) Honors University of Sheffield Team for Outstanding Research

Award for Excellence in Outcomes Research in Laboratory Medicine Presented at International Federation for Clinical Chemistry Congress

BERLIN, May 16, 2011 - The European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine
(EFCC) and Abbott's Labs Are Vital today presented its Award for Excellence
in Outcomes Research in Laboratory Medicine to researchers from the
University of Sheffield School of Health Related Research in the United
Kingdom. The team, led by Steve W. Goodacre, Ph.D., was recognized for its
scientific article published in Heart titled "The Randomized Assessment of
Treatment Using Panel Assay of Cardiac Markers" that showed the use of point
of care (POC) cardiac biomarkers resulted in shorter hospital stays and
increased the number of patients successfully discharged after emergency
department assessments.

Dr. Goodacre and his co-authors - Mike Bradburn, Elizabeth Cross, Paul
Collinson, Alasdair Gray and Alistair Hall - investigated whether testing
with POC cardiac biomarkers would increase the rate of successful patient
discharges following emergency department exams of individuals presenting
with chest pains. More than 2,200 suspected myocardial infarction patients in
the U.K. were studied.

In the article, the authors noted the rise of hospital admissions has
been described by the National Health Service as a problem that could
bankrupt the U.K. health care system. The study explored the potential
benefit of using POC biomarkers to lower the admission rate of chest pain
patients, who account for about 25 percent of patients admitted from the
emergency department. POC testing for cardiac biomarkers can substantially
reduce turnaround time and transmit results rapidly to attending emergency
department staff.

The study concluded that POC cardiac assessments resulted in a greater
proportion of patients being successfully discharged after emergency
department assessments and also reduced the median length of initial hospital
stays.

"Dr. Goodacre and his team have highlighted the vital role laboratory
scientists play every day in diagnosing and preventing disease and in
applying advanced diagnostic technologies to help assure favorable outcomes
for patients," said Kathy Turner, divisional vice president, Abbott
Diagnostics.

The research team received an award and a euro 15,000 honorarium.

The EFCC/Labs Are Vital Award for Excellence in Outcomes Research in
Laboratory Medicine Award was created in 2009 to recognize outstanding
published research demonstrating favorable clinical or economic outcomes from
the use of an in vitro diagnostic test. Applications are judged by a panel of
judges selected by the EFCC Scientific Committee. Entries must be authored by
an individual or group working wholly or mainly in Europe and published in
English in a peer-reviewed medical, scientific or economic journal. The
biennial award will be presented again in Milan at the 2013 EUROMEDLAB
Congress.

"The partnership between medical laboratory professionals and physicians
is critical for improving patient care," said Andrea Rita Horvath, Ph.D.,
president of EFCC. "This award showcases this important relationship because
it recognizes the significant role that laboratory science can have on
improving medical and economic health system outcomes, resulting in better
patient care."

About Labs Are Vital

Sponsored by Abbott Diagnostics, Labs Are Vital is a multi-year,
multi-faceted education and awareness program. It is designed to elevate the
status of lab professionals within the health care community and the general
public, address the issues that face the profession today, and serve as a
community for professionals to exchange ideas and get new information. The
program has a variety of Web-based resources for laboratory professionals,
which focus attention on the life-saving work medical laboratory scientists
provide in diagnosing disease and improving health outcomes.

Labs Are Vital is a cooperative venture created and sponsored by Abbott
in partnership with the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and
Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) and supported by several national and
international organizations representing laboratory professionals, such as
the College of American Pathologists, American Society for Clinical
Laboratory Science (ASCLS), American Association for Clinical Chemistry
(AACC) and ASCP.

About EFCC

EFCC is the regional Federation of the IFCC (International Federation for
Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine), connecting National Societies of
Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine in Europe (defined according to
WHO) and creating a platform for all specialists working in the field. EFCC
provides European leadership in clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine to
national professional societies, to the diagnostic industry and to
governmental and non-governmental organizations in order to serve the public
interest in health care. For more information on EFCC visit www.efcclm.eu.

About Abbott

Abbott (NYSE: ABT) 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 nearly 90,000 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.

Media, Michelle Johnson, +1-847-935-0011 (office), +1-847-736-6812 (mobile), or Darcy Ross, +1-847-937-3655 (office), +1-224-475-7673 (mobile)