WASHINGTON, D.C. ---- Abbott Laboratories, Chicago, Illinois, a Fortune 500 company and a leading global health care company, has been approved for membership in the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC), the USUBC executive committee announced today on behalf of the entire USUBC membership of over 165 companies and organizations who have business operations, investments or other development programs in Ukraine.

About Abbott
Abbott is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals and medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics. The company employs nearly 90,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries.

Abbott in Ukraine
Abbott started operations in Ukraine from 1998. To date, Abbott employs 230 people who work to provide access to Ukraine’s patients in the areas of HIV, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Premature Infant Health, Bechterew’s Disease, Psoriasis, Emergency Medicine & Anesthesia, Gastroenterology, Women‘s Health, Pulmonary Disease, and Cardiology. In total, 40 of Abbott’s medicines are available in the Ukraine, and new launches of innovative and globally used products in Oncology, Parkinson Disease, Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, and Renal Care are planned for 2012-2015.

Abbott in Ukraine & USUBC
USUBC has been working with Gintautas Storpirstis, Regional General Manager, Commonwealth of Independent States CIS; Vitaliy Gordienko, Head of the Representative Office in Kyiv; Alexander Bondarenko, CIS Business Development & Commercial Hub Manager; Monika Maciulyte, Government Affairs Manager, CIS and other key members of the Abbott staff in Kyiv.  Alexander Bondarenko will represent Abbott on the USUBC board of directors.  

"I am glad Abbott and the other international health care companies are contributing largely to strengthening the healthcare system, patient health and the quality of life in Ukraine" said Morgan Williams, Director, Government Affairs, Washington Office, SigmaBleyzer Private Equity Investment Management Group, who serves as President of the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC), "USUBC is pleased to have the opportunity to work with Abbott on key issues in Ukraine."

About Abbott 
Other news about Abbott and information is available on the company's Web site at www.abbott.com.  

USUBC Membership Reaches 165 
The U.S-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC), founded in 1995 in Washington, D.C., now has over over one-hundred sixty-five members.  Membership in January of 2005 was eight, in January of 2007 was 22, reached 100 in January of 2009 and topped 150 in January of 2011.  The complete list of USUBC members can be found at: http://www.usubc.org/members.php. For a list of the USUBC board of directors go to the following link: http://www.usubc.org/site/u-s-ukraine-business-council-board-of-directors.