Abbott Laboratories with its headquarters located in Abbott Park, Illinois in the neighborhood of North Chicago, Illinois, USA. The Abbott Alkaloidal Company was founded by Dr. Wallace C. Abbott at the age of 30 years during 1888 while he was the   practicing physician and already had a drug store. He invented the use of the active part of the medicinal plant called alkaloid duly formulated by him into the small pills that he named ‘Dosimetric Granules.’ This invention got the success as it permitted extra consistency and efficacy of dosage for the patients.

The company developed the first HIV blood screening test during 1985. In vitro diagnostic business segment the company is believed to the major provider of immunoassays and blood screening. The wide range of medical tests and diagnostic instrumentation systems of the company are widely used by hospitals, laboratories, blood banks and physicians for diagnosing and screening ailments like HIV, hepatitis, cancer, heart failure and metabolic disorders through out the world today. These equipments are known to provide precise data within no time enabling healthcare professionals to extend all possible treatments to the patients. The company also supplies point-of-care cardiac assays to the medical emergency rooms.
                                                                                              
The significant medicine range of the company includes: Humira – used for treating Rheumatoid arthritis, Norvir – for treating HIV, Depakote – the anticonvulsant medication and Synthroid – the synthetic thyroid hormone. Abbott also has the wide array of diagnostics and immunoassay products besides the most popular line of meal replacement shake named as Ensure.  

Amongst other major products are: Similac-LF, Biaxin / Klacid, Depacon, Depakote, Axsym and Aeroset.