UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): December 13, 2018

ABBVIE INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

1 North Waukegan Road

North Chicago, Illinois 60064-6400

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (847) 932-7900

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

o            Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

o            Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

o            Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

o            Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (17 CFR 230.405) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (17 CFR 240.12b-2).

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.              o

Item 5.02 — Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

Effective December 13, 2018, Michael E. Severino, M.D., 52, has been appointed Vice Chairman and President, Laura J. Schumacher, 55, has been appointed Vice Chairman, External Affairs and Chief Legal Officer, and Carlos Alban, 55, has been appointed Vice Chairman, Chief Commercial Officer. A copy of a press release announcing these appointments is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

Dr. Severino has served as AbbVie’s Executive Vice President, Research and Development and Chief Scientific Officer since he joined AbbVie in 2014.  He previously served at Amgen Inc. as Senior Vice President, Global Development and Corporate Chief Medical Officer from 2012 to 2014.

Ms. Schumacher served as AbbVie’s Executive Vice President, External Affairs, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, responsible for AbbVie’s externally-facing functions of Health Economics Outcomes Research, Government Affairs, Corporate Responsibility, Brand and Communications since 2015.  She served as AbbVie’s Executive Vice President, Business Development, External Affairs and General Counsel from 2012 to 2015.  Ms. Schumacher joined Abbott Laboratories (“Abbott”), AbbVie’s former parent company, in 1990.  Ms. Schumacher also serves on the board of General Dynamics Corporation.

Mr. Alban has served as AbbVie’s Executive Vice President, Commercial Operations since 2012. Mr. Alban joined Abbott in 1986.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d) Exhibits

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SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

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Exhibit 99.1

PRESS RELEASE

AbbVie Announces Executive Leadership Changes

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill., Dec. 17, 2018 — AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), a research-based global biopharmaceutical company, today announced a new Executive Leadership Team structure designed to streamline its organizational structure and support its long-term growth strategy.  Effective immediately, the new Team will consist of the following individuals, all of whom report to AbbVie Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard A. Gonzalez:

·                  Michael E. Severino, M.D., AbbVie’s Executive Vice President, Research & Development and Chief Scientific Officer, has been named Vice Chairman and President.  In his role, Dr. Severino will be responsible for research and development, human resources, operations, and the corporate strategy office.

·                  Laura J. Schumacher has been named Vice Chairman, External Affairs and Chief Legal Officer.  Ms. Schumacher currently serves as Executive Vice President, External Affairs, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary.  In her new role, Ms. Schumacher will be responsible for legal, ethics and compliance, corporate governance, corporate aviation and all externally facing functions including health economics outcomes research, government affairs, corporate responsibility, brand and communications.

·                  Carlos Alban, who currently serves as Executive Vice President, Commercial Operations, has been named Vice Chairman, Chief Commercial Officer.  Mr. Alban will be responsible for global commercial operations of the Company, including the addition of Pharmacyclics commercial functions.

·                  William J. Chase will continue in his role as Executive Vice President, Finance and Administration, responsible for all financial and administrative functions of the Company.

“AbbVie has grown significantly since our founding six years ago, and now is the right time to evolve our senior executive leadership structure to match our talent and our operating model as well as support our long-term growth strategy,” said Richard A. Gonzalez, chairman and chief executive officer, AbbVie.  “We are fortunate to have a deep pool of senior leadership talent, and this streamlined structure will enhance our ability to execute against our long term strategies, provide additional scope for our senior leaders and facilitate our ability to meet our commitment to continuing to deliver value to all of our stakeholders, including patients, employees, shareholders and the communities we serve.”

About AbbVie

AbbVie is a global, research and development-based biopharmaceutical company committed to developing innovative advanced therapies for some of the world’s most complex and critical conditions. The company’s mission is to use its expertise, dedicated people and unique approach to innovation to markedly improve treatments across four primary therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, virology and neuroscience.  In more than 75 countries, AbbVie employees are working every day to advance health solutions for people around the world. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram.

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