[Ip-health] Seniors, Aids Activists protest Abbott

[Sean Flynn]

AIDS Treatment Activist Coalition (ATAC)
Citizen Action/Illinois

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 23, 2004
Contact: Teresa Luepke, PCI, 312-558-1770


SENIORS, AIDS ADVOCATES PROTEST ABBOTT LAB'S SKYROCKETING DRUG PRICES

WAUKEGAN, IL - Despite threats of arrest, over sixty protestors met at
Abbott Laboratories today during the company's annual shareholders
meeting to protest price increases of up to 400% on prescription drugs.
Together, the protestors formed a unique coalition of senior citizens
and AIDS advocates, including representatives from Citizen
Action/Illinois, the AIDS Treatment Activists Coalition, EASE and the
Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans.

Earlier in the week, protesters requested and received the approval of
the Lake County Sheriff's Department to peacefully demonstrate on land
immediately adjacent to Abbott's main entrance. However, Abbott
Laboratories officials, joined by a Lake County sheriff, met with the
protest organizers on Thursday and threatened to arrest anyone who
approached the pharmaceutical giant's gated Northshore headquarters.

Protestors were confined to a piece of land separated from Abbott's main
entrance by a multi-lane highway and surrounded by a strong police
presence, complete with multiple patrol cars and several officers on
foot, some with attack dogs.

The designated zone, nearly 50 feet from the main entrance of Abbot
Laboratories, was cordoned off by a snow fence on one side, trees and
shrubs on another, and the highway on the other.  According to the
protesters, Abbott further isolated the group by diverting shareholders
to an alternate entrance, instead of the company's main visitor entrance.

Despite the conditions, protestors continued on carrying signs reading
"Stop Abbott Greed" and chanting "Drug Companies Make Me Sick!" No
arrests were made.

The advocates called on the company's shareholders to pass resolutions
to reform the company's business strategy.  One resolution would require
the company to reconsider its business strategy in light of the failure
to halt the HIV/AIDS pandemic.  Another would require the company to
develop a plan to make prescription drugs more affordable.

"With outrageous price increases, Abbott is ruthlessly taking advantage
of its most vulnerable customers," said Brent Adams, Policy Director at
Citizen Action/Illinois.

Advocates cited a recent 400 percent price increase for the HIV drug
Norvir as a classic example of the company's greed.  Norvir can help
reduce the amount of HIV in the body when used as part of an anti-HIV
drug combination, sometimes called a drug cocktail. ATAC and other AIDS
groups including physicians have called for a complete price roll back.
Similarly, the cost of Abbott's Synthroid, a synthetic thyroid drug
commonly used by seniors, has increased ten times in a five-year period.

Earlier this year, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan launched an
investigation into Abbott's decision to increase the price of Norvir by
400%.

"Abbott is fueling the fire of pharma greed that is the crux of our
national health care crisis," said Matt Sharp, from the AIDS Treatment
Activists Coalition and a person living with HIV.  "Triple-digit price
increases mean that many people with HIV/AIDS will not have access to
life-saving medications, and will jeopardize future research into
promising therapies."

"Abbott should use its wealth and influence to provide health care to
seniors, not to squeeze every last dime from seniors' bank accounts,"
said Rev. Elizabeth Bynum, chair of the Senior Advocates Committee of
the South Austin Coalition.

Surging pharmaceutical sales helped the company post a 3% increase in
profits for the first quarter of 2004.  Abbott's revenues for the
quarter were $5.22 billion, a 14% increase over the company's revenue
for the same period last year.