"During this challenging time, we are doing everything possible to ensure our employees remain safe, our patients receive their medicines, and assistance is available to help those most deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic."  - Richard Gonzalez, CEO

AbbVie’s COVID-19 R&D efforts

As a global biopharmaceutical company, AbbVie is committed to addressing the COVID-19 public health crisis. We are collaborating with health authorities and institutions globally to identify potential treatments, including supporting clinical studies and basic research of our medicines. We’re also collaborating with industry, government and academia, focusing on early science and discovery research.

Learn more about our research and discovery efforts.

Protecting our employees in the workplace

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the health and safety of our employees has been our top priority. As an essential business, we’ve had employees working in our facilities throughout the crisis, and we’ve been proud that we’ve been able to continue to provide our patients with the critical medicines they depend on without any interruption.

Throughout the crisis, we’ve followed health and safety guidance from state and local health authorities, taking a phased and measured approach to returning more employees to AbbVie facilities, and have implemented a wide variety of safety measures for those employees who are returning to the workplace. We continue our enhanced safety protocols at all our sites.

Vaccination is the most effective way to keep people safe from COVID-19 and stop the spread of the virus. With vaccines widely available, we encourage employees and third-party workers based at an AbbVie location who are able to receive a COVID-19 vaccination to do so before returning to the workplace or be tested weekly if unvaccinated.

AbbVie offers a variety of testing resources to help our workforce continue to stay safe and healthy:

• AbbVie COVID-19 Case Management Program: A resource for U.S. employees and contractors to monitor and report COVID-19 symptoms, possible exposure or positive test results to trained health care professionals and receive guidance on returning to the workplace.
• AbbVie At-Home COVID-19 Testing Program: Test kits mailed to the home at no cost to U.S. employees and for a fee to contractors and employees' family members.
• AbbVie Expanded Onsite Testing Program (select U.S. sites): In addition to existing onsite priority COVID-19 testing already available for U.S. employees and contractors, an elective option is available for U.S. employees who have returned to onsite work.
   

Before coming to the workplace

• Before leaving home, employees answer COVID-19 screening questions to confirm they are allowed to come into the workplace.
• If they are experiencing any COVID-19-like symptoms, or have tested positive for COVID-19, they are asked to stay home and seek medical care. Any employee who suspects or confirms they have COVID-19 is required to follow AbbVie’s Return to On-Site Work Medical Clearance Procedures before returning to the workplace.

While in the workplace

• All office building HVAC units have been reconfigured to maximize outside air supply and minimize recirculation.
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) is provided to all employees both on site and those who work in field.
• Our teams are frequently disinfecting all workstations, offices, common areas and high-touch points in accordance with CDC guidelines.

After leaving the workplace

• We use electrostatic spray technology nightly as an added safety measure.

As a global company, our policies vary by region. We constantly update our guidance in accordance with local and regional government health guidelines.

Providing flexibility and support

AbbVie encourages our employees to work with their managers and human resources team members for questions and to get the personalized support they need. Managers are empowered to provide employees with needed flexibility – as they were before the crisis.
 

Corporate giving

AbbVie has donated $35 million to help support marginalized communities and health care systems working to address the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic. AbbVie’s partners were:

• International Medical Corps to help create capacity to treat patients at overburdened hospitals in the United States. AbbVie’s donation supported the creation and operation of 27 mobile field units and 28 hospitals to expand available triage at existing facilities, improve patient flow and keep COVID-19 patients separated from other patients. These standalone mobile field hospitals were built in U.S. hotspots.
• Direct Relief to provide equipment and supplies in the hardest-hit European countries. This support enabled the procurement and delivery of oxygen concentrators and PPE to front-line health care workers and patients.
• Feeding America to protect the most vulnerable, including the elderly, by enabling access to food and essential household supplies with minimal contact. Feeding America created a new model of home delivery and drive-through service.

Read the full announcement and access the press kit

As part of the company’s $35 million philanthropic commitment to fighting COVID, AbbVie set up a $5 million COVID-19 Community Resilience Fund. In May 2020, the company announced the 26 nonprofits that received funds to help front-line health care workers and vulnerable populations in hard-hit communities. Learn more.

AbbVie also doubled the AbbVie Foundation match in 2020 for COVID-19-related contributions by employees, providing $2 for every $1 employees donated to a qualified nonprofit.

In early 2021, AbbVie also supported local vaccination efforts near its Illinois headquarters by bringing approximately 18,000+ vaccines to local residents. About 550 AbbVie medical and non-medical volunteers staffed vaccine clinic days at the Lake County, Illinois, fairgrounds, directly contributing to over 12,000 vaccinations and helping to alleviate the strain on frontline heath care workers.

In partnership with local nonprofits, including North Chicago Community Partners and the United Way of Lake County, AbbVie also launched a temporary vaccination clinic at the Greenbelt Cultural Center to vaccinate local seniors over 65 years old and high-risk populations, in accordance with Lake County Health Department guidance at the time.