Background and Basis of Presentation	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Background and Basis of Presentation
Background and Basis of Presentation	Note 1 Background and Basis of Presentation Background The principal business of AbbVie Inc. (AbbVie or the company) is the discovery, development, manufacture and sale of a broad line of pharmaceutical products. AbbVie's products are generally sold worldwide directly to wholesalers, distributors, government agencies, health care facilities, specialty pharmacies, and independent retailers from AbbVie-owned distribution centers and public warehouses. Substantially all of AbbVie's sales in the United States are to three wholesalers. Outside the United States, products are sold primarily to customers or through distributors, depending on the market served. AbbVie was incorporated in Delaware on April 10, 2012. On January 1, 2013, AbbVie became an independent, publicly-traded company as a result of the distribution by Abbott Laboratories (Abbott) of 100 percent of the outstanding common stock of AbbVie to Abbott's shareholders (the separation). On January 1, 2013, Abbott's shareholders of record as of the close of business on December 12, 2012, received one share of AbbVie common stock for every one share of Abbott common stock held as of the record date. AbbVie's common stock began trading "regular-way" under the ticker symbol "ABBV" on the New York Stock Exchange on January 2, 2013. During the year ended 2013, separation-related adjustments totaling $1.3 billion were recorded in stockholders' equity. Separation-related adjustments to additional paid-in capital principally reflected dividends to AbbVie shareholders that were declared from pre-separation earnings during the first quarter of 2013 and the transfer of certain pension plan liabilities and assets from Abbott to AbbVie upon the legal split of those plans in 2013. In addition, because the historical financial statements were derived from Abbott's records, separation-related adjustments also included an adjustment to accumulated other comprehensive loss to reflect the appropriate opening balances associated with currency translation adjustments related to AbbVie's legal entities at the separation date. Refer to Note 11 for further information regarding the separation of the pension plans. In connection with the separation, AbbVie and Abbott entered into transition services agreements covering certain corporate support and back office services that AbbVie historically received from Abbott. Such services include information technology, accounts payable, payroll, receivables collection, treasury and other financial functions, as well as order entry, warehousing, engineering support, quality assurance support and other administrative services. These agreements facilitate the separation by allowing AbbVie to operate independently prior to establishing stand-alone back office functions across its organization. Transition services may be provided for up to 24 months, with an option for a one-year extension. The majority of these transaction service agreements expired without extension at December 31, 2014. During the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, AbbVie incurred $445 million, $254 million, and $288 million, respectively, of separation-related expenses including legal, information technology and regulatory fees, which were principally classified in selling, general and administrative expenses (SG&A) in the consolidated statements of earnings. Basis of Historical Presentation For a certain portion of AbbVie's operations, the legal transfer of AbbVie's assets (net of liabilities) did not occur with the separation of AbbVie on January 1, 2013 due to the time required to transfer marketing authorizations and satisfy other regulatory requirements in certain countries. Under the terms of the separation agreement with Abbott, AbbVie is responsible for the business activities conducted by Abbott on its behalf, and is subject to the risks and entitled to the benefits generated by these operations and assets. As a result, the related assets and liabilities and results of operations have been reported in AbbVie's consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013. Net sales related to these operations for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 totaled approximately $282 million and $738 million, respectively. At December 31, 2014, the assets and liabilities consisted primarily of accounts receivable of $27 million, inventories of $16 million, other assets of $33 million and accounts payable and other accrued liabilities of $50 million. At December 31, 2013, the assets and liabilities consisted primarily of accounts receivable of $62 million, inventories of $190 million, other assets of $93 million and accounts payable and other accrued liabilities of $212 million. The majority of these operations are expected to be transferred to AbbVie by the end of 2015. Prior to the separation on January 1, 2013, the historical financial statements of AbbVie were prepared on a stand-alone basis and were derived from Abbott's consolidated financial statements and accounting records as if the former research-based pharmaceutical business of Abbott had been part of AbbVie for all periods presented. Accordingly, AbbVie's financial statements for periods prior to January 1, 2013 are presented herein on a combined basis and reflect AbbVie's financial position, results of operations and cash flows as its business was operated as part of Abbott prior to the separation, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The historical combined financial statements included the allocation of certain assets and liabilities that were historically held at the Abbott corporate level but which were specifically identifiable or allocable to AbbVie. Prior to 2012, cash and equivalents, short-term investments and restricted funds held by Abbott were not allocated to AbbVie unless those assets were held by an entity that was transferred to AbbVie. As of December 31, 2012, AbbVie's combined balance sheet reflected the direct holdings of AbbVie legal entities. Prior to November 2012, long-term debt and short-term borrowings were not allocated to AbbVie as none of the debt recorded by Abbott was directly attributable to or guaranteed by AbbVie. In November 2012, AbbVie issued $14.7 billion of long-term debt with maturities ranging from three to 30 years and $1.0 billion of commercial paper, which was reflected on AbbVie's combined balance sheet as of December 31, 2012. All AbbVie intracompany transactions and accounts were eliminated. Prior to 2012, all intercompany transactions between AbbVie and Abbott were considered to be effectively settled in the historical combined financial statements at the time the transactions were recorded. As a result, the total net effect of the settlement of these intercompany transactions was reflected in the combined statement of cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2012 as a financing activity and in the combined balance sheet as of December 31, 2012 as net parent company investment in AbbVie. As of December 31, 2012, outstanding transactions between AbbVie and Abbott were reflected in the combined balance sheet outside of net parent company investment in AbbVie Inc. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the aggregate amount due from Abbott totaled $526 million and $738 million, respectively, and was primarily classified in accounts and other receivables, net in AbbVie's consolidated balance sheets. The aggregate amount due to Abbott totaled $536 million and $876 million as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, and was classified in accounts payable and accrued liabilities in AbbVie's consolidated balance sheets. Prior to the separation on January 1, 2013, Abbott provided AbbVie certain services, which included administration of treasury, payroll, employee compensation and benefits, travel and meeting services, public and investor relations, real estate services, internal audit, telecommunications, information technology, corporate income tax and selected legal services. Some of these services continue to be provided to AbbVie on a temporary basis after the separation pursuant to certain transition services agreements. AbbVie's historical combined financial statements for periods prior to January 1, 2013 reflect an allocation of expenses related to these services. These expenses were allocated to AbbVie based on direct usage or benefit where identifiable, with the remainder allocated on a pro rata basis of revenues, headcount, square footage, number of transactions or other measures. AbbVie considers the expense allocation methodology and results to be reasonable. However, the allocations may not be indicative of the actual expenses that would have been incurred had AbbVie operated as an independent, publicly-traded company for the periods prior to January 1, 2013. These allocations totaled $838 million for the year ended December 31, 2012. Prior to the separation on January 1, 2013, AbbVie employees participated in various benefits and stock-based compensation programs maintained by Abbott. A portion of the cost of those programs was included in AbbVie's historical combined financial statements. See Note 11 and Note 12 for a further description of the accounting for post-employment benefits and stock-based compensation, respectively.

Note 1 Background and Basis of Presentation

Background

The principal business of AbbVie Inc. (AbbVie or the company) is the discovery, development, manufacture and sale of a broad line of pharmaceutical products. AbbVie's products are generally sold worldwide directly to wholesalers, distributors, government agencies, health care facilities, specialty pharmacies, and independent retailers from AbbVie-owned distribution centers and public warehouses. Substantially all of AbbVie's sales in the United States are to three wholesalers. Outside the United States, products are sold primarily to customers or through distributors, depending on the market served.

AbbVie was incorporated in Delaware on April 10, 2012. On January 1, 2013, AbbVie became an independent, publicly-traded company as a result of the distribution by Abbott Laboratories (Abbott) of 100 percent of the outstanding common stock of AbbVie to Abbott's shareholders (the separation). On January 1, 2013, Abbott's shareholders of record as of the close of business on December 12, 2012, received one share of AbbVie common stock for every one share of Abbott common stock held as of the record date. AbbVie's common stock began trading "regular-way" under the ticker symbol "ABBV" on the New York Stock Exchange on January 2, 2013.

During the year ended 2013, separation-related adjustments totaling $1.3 billion were recorded in stockholders' equity. Separation-related adjustments to additional paid-in capital principally reflected dividends to AbbVie shareholders that were declared from pre-separation earnings during the first quarter of 2013 and the transfer of certain pension plan liabilities and assets from Abbott to AbbVie upon the legal split of those plans in 2013. In addition, because the historical financial statements were derived from Abbott's records, separation-related adjustments also included an adjustment to accumulated other comprehensive loss to reflect the appropriate opening balances associated with currency translation adjustments related to AbbVie's legal entities at the separation date. Refer to Note 11 for further information regarding the separation of the pension plans.

In connection with the separation, AbbVie and Abbott entered into transition services agreements covering certain corporate support and back office services that AbbVie historically received from Abbott. Such services include information technology, accounts payable, payroll, receivables collection, treasury and other financial functions, as well as order entry, warehousing, engineering support, quality assurance support and other administrative services. These agreements facilitate the separation by allowing AbbVie to operate independently prior to establishing stand-alone back office functions across its organization. Transition services may be provided for up to 24 months, with an option for a one-year extension. The majority of these transaction service agreements expired without extension at December 31, 2014.

During the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, AbbVie incurred $445 million, $254 million, and $288 million, respectively, of separation-related expenses including legal, information technology and regulatory fees, which were principally classified in selling, general and administrative expenses (SG&A) in the consolidated statements of earnings.

Basis of Historical Presentation

For a certain portion of AbbVie's operations, the legal transfer of AbbVie's assets (net of liabilities) did not occur with the separation of AbbVie on January 1, 2013 due to the time required to transfer marketing authorizations and satisfy other regulatory requirements in certain countries. Under the terms of the separation agreement with Abbott, AbbVie is responsible for the business activities conducted by Abbott on its behalf, and is subject to the risks and entitled to the benefits generated by these operations and assets. As a result, the related assets and liabilities and results of operations have been reported in AbbVie's consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013. Net sales related to these operations for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 totaled approximately $282 million and $738 million, respectively. At December 31, 2014, the assets and liabilities consisted primarily of accounts receivable of $27 million, inventories of $16 million, other assets of $33 million and accounts payable and other accrued liabilities of $50 million. At December 31, 2013, the assets and liabilities consisted primarily of accounts receivable of $62 million, inventories of $190 million, other assets of $93 million and accounts payable and other accrued liabilities of $212 million. The majority of these operations are expected to be transferred to AbbVie by the end of 2015.

Prior to the separation on January 1, 2013, the historical financial statements of AbbVie were prepared on a stand-alone basis and were derived from Abbott's consolidated financial statements and accounting records as if the former research-based pharmaceutical business of Abbott had been part of AbbVie for all periods presented. Accordingly, AbbVie's financial statements for periods prior to January 1, 2013 are presented herein on a combined basis and reflect AbbVie's financial position, results of operations and cash flows as its business was operated as part of Abbott prior to the separation, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).

The historical combined financial statements included the allocation of certain assets and liabilities that were historically held at the Abbott corporate level but which were specifically identifiable or allocable to AbbVie. Prior to 2012, cash and equivalents, short-term investments and restricted funds held by Abbott were not allocated to AbbVie unless those assets were held by an entity that was transferred to AbbVie. As of December 31, 2012, AbbVie's combined balance sheet reflected the direct holdings of AbbVie legal entities. Prior to November 2012, long-term debt and short-term borrowings were not allocated to AbbVie as none of the debt recorded by Abbott was directly attributable to or guaranteed by AbbVie. In November 2012, AbbVie issued $14.7 billion of long-term debt with maturities ranging from three to 30 years and $1.0 billion of commercial paper, which was reflected on AbbVie's combined balance sheet as of December 31, 2012. All AbbVie intracompany transactions and accounts were eliminated. Prior to 2012, all intercompany transactions between AbbVie and Abbott were considered to be effectively settled in the historical combined financial statements at the time the transactions were recorded. As a result, the total net effect of the settlement of these intercompany transactions was reflected in the combined statement of cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2012 as a financing activity and in the combined balance sheet as of December 31, 2012 as net parent company investment in AbbVie. As of December 31, 2012, outstanding transactions between AbbVie and Abbott were reflected in the combined balance sheet outside of net parent company investment in AbbVie Inc. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the aggregate amount due from Abbott totaled $526 million and $738 million, respectively, and was primarily classified in accounts and other receivables, net in AbbVie's consolidated balance sheets. The aggregate amount due to Abbott totaled $536 million and $876 million as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, and was classified in accounts payable and accrued liabilities in AbbVie's consolidated balance sheets.

Prior to the separation on January 1, 2013, Abbott provided AbbVie certain services, which included administration of treasury, payroll, employee compensation and benefits, travel and meeting services, public and investor relations, real estate services, internal audit, telecommunications, information technology, corporate income tax and selected legal services. Some of these services continue to be provided to AbbVie on a temporary basis after the separation pursuant to certain transition services agreements. AbbVie's historical combined financial statements for periods prior to January 1, 2013 reflect an allocation of expenses related to these services. These expenses were allocated to AbbVie based on direct usage or benefit where identifiable, with the remainder allocated on a pro rata basis of revenues, headcount, square footage, number of transactions or other measures. AbbVie considers the expense allocation methodology and results to be reasonable. However, the allocations may not be indicative of the actual expenses that would have been incurred had AbbVie operated as an independent, publicly-traded company for the periods prior to January 1, 2013. These allocations totaled $838 million for the year ended December 31, 2012.

Prior to the separation on January 1, 2013, AbbVie employees participated in various benefits and stock-based compensation programs maintained by Abbott. A portion of the cost of those programs was included in AbbVie's historical combined financial statements. See Note 11 and Note 12 for a further description of the accounting for post-employment benefits and stock-based compensation, respectively.