Legal Proceedings and Contingencies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2026

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

AbbVie is subject to contingencies, such as various claims, legal proceedings and investigations regarding product liability, intellectual property, commercial, securities and other matters that arise in the normal course of business. Loss contingency provisions are recorded for probable losses at management’s best estimate of a loss, or when a best estimate cannot be made, a minimum loss contingency amount within a probable range is recorded. The recorded accrual balance for litigation was approximately $1.7 billion as of March 31, 2026 and $1.6 billion as of December 31, 2025. For litigation matters discussed below for which a loss is probable or reasonably possible, the company is unable to estimate the possible loss or range of loss, if any, beyond the amounts accrued. Initiation of new legal proceedings or a change in the status of existing proceedings may result in a change in the estimated loss accrued by AbbVie. While it is not feasible to predict the outcome of all proceedings and exposures with certainty, management believes that their ultimate disposition should not have a material adverse effect on AbbVie’s consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Antitrust Litigation

Lawsuits are pending against AbbVie and others generally alleging that the 2005 patent litigation settlement involving Niaspan entered into between Kos Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (a company acquired by Abbott in 2006 and presently a subsidiary of AbbVie) and a generic company violated federal and state antitrust laws and state unfair and deceptive trade practices and unjust enrichment laws. Plaintiffs generally seek monetary damages and/or injunctive relief and attorneys' fees. The lawsuits pending in federal court consist of six individual plaintiff lawsuits and a certified class action by Niaspan direct purchasers. The cases are pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for coordinated or consolidated pre-trial proceedings under the federal multi-district litigation (MDL) Rules as In re: Niaspan Antitrust Litigation, MDL No. 2460. In October 2016, the Orange County, California District Attorney’s Office filed a lawsuit on behalf of the State of California regarding the Niaspan patent litigation settlement in Orange County Superior Court, asserting a claim under the unfair competition provision of the California Business and Professions Code seeking injunctive relief, restitution, civil penalties and attorneys’ fees.

Government Proceedings

Lawsuits are pending against Allergan and several other manufacturers generally alleging that they improperly promoted and sold prescription opioid products. Approximately 320 lawsuits are pending against Allergan in federal and state courts. Most of the federal court lawsuits are consolidated for pre-trial purposes in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio under the MDL rules as In re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation, MDL No. 2804. Approximately 20 of the lawsuits are pending in various state courts. The plaintiffs in these lawsuits, which include counties, cities, other municipal entities, Native American tribes, union trust funds and other third-party payors, private hospitals and personal injury claimants, generally seek compensatory and punitive damages. Of these approximately 320 lawsuits, approximately 20 of them are brought by counties, cities and other municipal entities, approximately 5 of which are in the process of being dismissed pursuant to the previously announced settlement.

In March 2023, AbbVie Inc. filed a petition in the United States Tax Court, AbbVie Inc. and Subsidiaries v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue. The petition disputed the Commissioner of Internal Revenue determination concerning a $572 million income tax benefit recorded in 2014 related to a payment made to a third party for the termination of a proposed business combination. In June 2025, the United States Tax Court granted AbbVie’s motion for summary judgment and denied the Commissioner of Internal Revenue’s cross-motion for summary judgment. The United States Tax Court ordered and decided that there is no deficiency in income tax due from AbbVie for the tax year 2014. In September 2025, the Commissioner of Internal Revenue appealed this decision. In February 2026, the Commissioner of Internal Revenue withdrew its appeal. As a result, the United States Tax Court’s decision stands and the matter is resolved.

Product Liability and General Litigation

In April 2023, a putative class action lawsuit, Camargo v. AbbVie Inc., was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on behalf of Humira patients who paid for Humira based on its list price or who, after losing insurance coverage, discontinued Humira because they could not pay based on its list price, alleging that Humira’s list price is excessive in violation of multiple states’ unfair and deceptive trade practices statutes. The plaintiff generally seeks monetary damages, injunctive relief, and attorneys’ fees. In January 2026, the court granted AbbVie’s motion to dismiss, without prejudice. In March 2026, the plaintiff filed a notice of appeal of this dismissal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Lawsuits are pending against various Allergan entities in the United States and other countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada and South Korea, in which plaintiffs generally allege that they developed, or may develop, breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) or other injuries from Allergan’s Biocell textured breast implants, which were voluntarily withdrawn from worldwide markets in 2019. Approximately 150 ALCL lawsuits and 1,320 other lawsuits are coordinated for pre-trial purposes in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey under the MDL rules as In re: Allergan Biocell Textured Breast Implant

Product Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2921. Approximately 75 ALCL lawsuits and 470 other lawsuits are pending in various state courts. Approximately 70 ALCL and 1,080 other lawsuits are pending in other countries. In December 2025, the Amsterdam District Court dismissed all claims pending against Allergan and affiliated entities in the Netherlands. In March 2026, the plaintiffs in the Netherlands filed a notice of appeal of this dismissal to the Amsterdam Court of Appeal. Plaintiffs generally seek monetary damages, medical monitoring and attorneys’ fees.

In January 2025, a putative class action lawsuit, Sheet Metal Workers’ Health Plan of Southern California, Arizona and Nevada v. AbbVie Inc., was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on behalf of third-party payors of Humira, alleging that AbbVie’s rebating practices are impairing biosimilar competition with Humira in violation of federal and state antitrust laws. The plaintiff generally seeks monetary damages, injunctive relief and attorneys' fees.

Intellectual Property Litigation

AbbVie Inc. is seeking to enforce patent rights related to ubrogepant (a drug sold under the trademark Ubrelvy). Litigation was filed in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey in March 2024 against Aurobindo Pharma U.S.A., Inc., Aurobindo Pharma Limited, and Apitoria Pharma Private Limited; Zydus Pharmaceuticals (USA) Inc. and Zydus Lifesciences Limited; and Hetero USA Inc., Hetero Labs Limited Unit-III, and Hetero Labs Limited. AbbVie alleges defendants’ proposed generic ubrogepant products infringe certain patents and seeks declaratory and injunctive relief. Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, which exclusively licenses certain patents to AbbVie, is a co-plaintiff in the litigation.

AbbVie is seeking to enforce patent rights related to atogepant (a drug sold under the trademark Qulipta). Litigation was filed in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey in December 2025 and January 2026 against Apotex Inc.; Macleods Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and Macleods Pharma USA, Inc.; Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Ltd. and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Inc.; MSN Pharmaceuticals Inc., MSN Laboratories Private Limited, and MSN Life Sciences Private Limited; Hetero USA Inc., Hetero Labs Limited Unit-III, Hetero Labs Limited, and Honour Lab Limited; and Micro Labs Limited and Micro Labs USA, Inc. AbbVie alleges defendants’ proposed generic atogepant products infringe certain patents and seeks declaratory and injunctive relief.