AbbVie 2014 Annual Report Download - page 27

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AbbVie depends on information technology and a failure of those systems could adversely affect
AbbVie’s business.
AbbVie relies on sophisticated information technology systems to operate its business. These systems
are potentially vulnerable to malicious intrusion, random attack, loss of data privacy, or breakdown.
Although AbbVie has invested in the protection of its data and information technology and also monitors its
systems on an ongoing basis, there can be no assurance that these efforts will prevent breakdowns or
breaches in AbbVie’s information technology systems that could adversely affect AbbVie’s business.
Other factors can have a material adverse effect on AbbVie’s profitability and financial condition.
Many other factors can affect AbbVie’s profitability and financial condition, including:
• changes in or interpretations of laws and regulations, including changes in accounting standards,
taxation requirements, product marketing application standards, and environmental laws;
• differences between the fair value measurement of assets and liabilities and their actual value,
particularly for pension and post-employment benefits, stock-based compensation, intangibles, and
goodwill; and for contingent liabilities such as litigation, the absence of a recorded amount, or an
amount recorded at the minimum, compared to the actual amount;
• changes in the rate of inflation (including the cost of raw materials, commodities, and supplies),
interest rates, market value of AbbVie’s equity investments, and the performance of investments
held by it or its employee benefit trusts;
• changes in the creditworthiness of counterparties that transact business with or provide services to
AbbVie or its employee benefit trusts; and
• changes in business, economic, and political conditions, including: war, political instability, terrorist
attacks, the threat of future terrorist activity and related military action; natural disasters; the cost
and availability of insurance due to any of the foregoing events; labor disputes, strikes, slow-downs,
or other forms of labor or union activity; and pressure from third-party interest groups.
Risks Related to AbbVie’s Separation from Abbott
AbbVie’s historical financial information for fiscal year 2012 and prior periods is not necessarily
representative of the results that it would have achieved as a separate, publicly traded company and
may not be a reliable indicator of its future results.
The historical information about AbbVie in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2012 and for the periods ending prior to December 31, 2012 refers to AbbVie’s business as
operated by and integrated with Abbott. AbbVie’s historical financial information for these periods was
derived from the consolidated financial statements and accounting records of Abbott. Accordingly, the
financial information for these periods does not necessarily reflect the financial condition, results of
operations or cash flows that AbbVie would have achieved as a separate, publicly traded company during
the periods presented or those that AbbVie will achieve in the future.
For additional information about the past financial performance of AbbVie’s business and the basis of
presentation of the financial statements of AbbVie’s business, see Item 7, ‘‘Management’s Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations’’ and Item 8, ‘‘Financial Statements and
Supplementary Data.’’
2014 Form 10-K 21