AbbVie, a research-focused, specialty biopharmaceutical company that was spun off from Abbott, was officially launched on Jan. 2, 2013.  The new company will employ approximately 21,000 people in more than 40 countries, according to AbbVie’s news release.

The new company’s portfolio includes both growth brands and durable performers, including HUMIRA (adalimumab), AndroGel (testosterone gel), Lupron (leuprolide), Synagis (palivizumab, manufactured by MedImmune), Creon (pancrelipase), Synthroid (levothyroxine sodium), Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir), Norvir (ritonavir), and Zemplar (paricalcitol). In addition, AbbVie’s pipeline contains compounds in more than 20 mid- to late-stage clinical programs as well as discovery efforts in diseases including Hepatitis C, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, spondyloarthropathies, multiple myeloma, and endometriosis.

"Our commitment at AbbVie is to build on Abbott's 125-year heritage and address some of the world's most serious health issues," said Richard A. Gonzalez, AbbVie’s chairman of the board and chief executive officer, in the press release. "We intend AbbVie's enduring legacy to be one of finding treatments for patients with serious health care needs."