"Treatment with HUMIRA has changed my life and allowed me to return to doing the things that I love, like bird watching," Shirley explained in his profile. "I've spent half my life dealing with this difficult disease. If you also have it, then you know what I'm talking about. At last, I feel I'm back in control."
 

HUMIRA Reimbursement Resource Center
 

Through the site's HUMIRA Reimbursement Resource Center, Abbott offers information on obtaining reimbursement assistance for HUMIRA, including Abbott's Patient Assistance Program for those who meet specific financial criteria to receive HUMIRA at no cost and the HUMIRA Medicare Assistance Program, which provides HUMIRA at no cost to Medicare-eligible seniors without any prescription drug coverage until a Medicare drug benefit is enacted.
 

Other Features
HUMIRA.com also offers patients and health care professionals the following resources:

  -- Injection assistance
  -- Rheumatologist directory
  -- Frequently asked questions about HUMIRA
  -- Helpful questions to ask your physician
  -- Links to other Web-based RA resources such as RA.com, an interactive
     Web site featuring the latest RA news, lifestyle issues and information
     for people with RA and their caregivers
  -- Optional sign-up to receive periodic emails with research and news
     updates on HUMIRA and RA

"Abbott is committed to improving the lives of RA patients," said Tim Walbert, divisional vice president and general manager, Abbott Immunology. "We hope that people with RA, their caregivers and rheumatologists find HUMIRA.com to be a helpful resource throughout the treatment process."

About HUMIRA

The Food and Drug Administration approved HUMIRA on Dec. 31, 2002, for reducing the signs and symptoms and inhibiting the progression of structural damage in adults with moderately to severely active RA who have had insufficient response to one or more traditional disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs).

HUMIRA is available in a pre-filled syringe that was specially designed for use by patients who may have limited use of their hands as a result of the destructive progression of RA. The syringe has unique plastic wings that are easy to hold and will allow those patients prescribed HUMIRA to self- administer the drug at home, without having to mix or measure their medication. This unique design was reviewed by an independent panel of people with arthritis and health professionals and received the Arthritis Foundation Ease-of-Use Commendation Seal.

HUMIRA resembles antibodies normally found in the body. HUMIRA works by specifically blocking tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a), a protein that plays a central role in the inflammatory responses of autoimmune diseases such as RA.

HUMIRA was discovered through a broad scientific collaboration between Abbott and Cambridge Antibody Technology (CAT). As part of the collaboration, Abbott had the right to select several target antigens for which a joint Abbott/CAT research team would discover human antibody therapeutics. HUMIRA was isolated and optimized by Abbott and CAT as part of this collaboration. Abbott owns exclusive worldwide rights to HUMIRA, including responsibility for clinical development, manufacturing, sales and marketing. Abbott will book all revenues for HUMIRA, and CAT will receive a royalty fee based on HUMIRA sales.

The European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA) accepted Abbott's submission for HUMIRA for the treatment of RA in April 2002. Approval is anticipated in mid-2003.

Important Safety Information

Cases of tuberculosis (TB), frequently disseminated or extra pulmonary at clinical presentation, have been observed in patients receiving HUMIRA. Serious infections and sepsis, including fatalities, have been reported with the use of TNF-blocking agents, including HUMIRA. Many of these infections occurred in patients on concomitant immunosuppressive therapy that in addition to their underlying disease could predispose them to infections. Other invasive opportunistic fungal infections have also been observed in patients treated with TNF-blocking agents, including HUMIRA.

TNF-blocking agents, including HUMIRA, have been associated in rare cases with exacerbation of demyelinating disease. The most frequent adverse events seen in the placebo-controlled clinical trials (HUMIRA vs. placebo) were upper respiratory infection (17 percent vs. 13 percent), injection site pain (12 percent vs. 12 percent), headache (12 percent vs. 8 percent), rash (12 percent vs. 6 percent) and sinusitis (11 percent vs. 9 percent). Discontinuations due to adverse events were 7 percent for HUMIRA and 4 percent for placebo. As with any treatment program, the benefits and risks of HUMIRA should be carefully considered before initiating therapy.

About RA

More than two million people in the United States suffer from RA. Unlike osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, RA is an autoimmune disease where joints are inflamed, resulting in eventual destruction of the joint's interior and surrounding bone.

The long-term prognosis for patients with RA is poor, and as a result, many patients face increased disability and premature death. Patients interested in more information about RA can visit the Web site, www.RA.com .

Abbott's Commitment to Immunology

Abbott Laboratories is committed to the discovery and development of innovative treatments for immunologic diseases. Founded in 1989, the Abbott Bioresearch Center in Worcester, Mass., is a world-class discovery and basic research facility committed to finding new treatments for autoimmune diseases. The Abbott Bioresearch Center employs leading-edge technologies, discovery and manufacturing processes, including proprietary phage antibody display technology and mammalian cell expression systems to produce fully-human monoclonal antibodies.

Abbott Laboratories is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals, nutritionals, and medical products, including devices and diagnostics. The company employs approximately 70,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries.

Full prescribing information for HUMIRA is available at www.HUMIRA.com  .