ABBOTT PARK, Ill., Oct. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Abbott (NYSE:ABT) today announced financial results for the third quarter ended Sept. 30, 2018.

• Third-quarter worldwide sales of $7.7 billion increased 12.1 percent on a reported basis and 7.8 percent on an organic* basis.
• Reported diluted EPS from continuing operations under GAAP was $0.31 in the third quarter.
• Adjusted diluted EPS from continuing operations, which excludes specified items, was $0.75.
• Abbott narrowed its full-year 2018 diluted EPS guidance range from continuing operations on a GAAP basis to $1.33 to $1.35 and adjusted diluted EPS from continuing operations to $2.87 to $2.89.
• In the U.S., Abbott received FDA approval of its FreeStyle^® Libre 14 day sensor, making it the longest lasting wearable glucose sensor available. In October, Abbott obtained CE Mark for its FreeStyle Libre 2 system, a next-generation product offering with optional real-time alarms.
• FreeStyle Libre achieving rapid market uptake, with third-quarter worldwide sales of $304 million, an increase of 101 percent versus prior year.
• In July, Abbott received U.S. FDA approval for its third-generation version of its minimally invasive MitraClip^® heart valve repair device. This new version includes design advancements that simplify the procedure and enable more patients to be treated with MitraClip.
• In September, Abbott announced positive clinical results from its landmark COAPT study, which demonstrated that its minimally invasive MitraClip heart valve repair device improved survival and clinical outcomes for select patients with functional mitral regurgitation, a leaky heart valve resulting from advanced heart failure. The COAPT study data will be submitted to the U.S. FDA to support consideration of an expanded indication for MitraClip.

"We achieved another quarter of strong growth and our new product pipeline continues to be highly productive," said Miles D. White, chairman and chief executive officer, Abbott. "In spite of increasing currency headwinds, we're well-positioned to achieve the upper end of our initial full-year guidance."

* See note on organic growth below.

THIRD-QUARTER BUSINESS OVERVIEW
Note: Management believes that measuring sales growth rates on an organic basis is an appropriate way for investors to best understand the underlying performance of the business.

Organic sales growth:

• Excludes prior year results for the Abbott Medical Optics (AMO) and St. Jude Medical vascular closure businesses, which were divested during the first quarter 2017;
• Excludes the current and prior year results for Rapid Diagnostics, which reflect results for Alere Inc., which was acquired on Oct. 3, 2017; and
• Excludes the impact of foreign exchange.

Following are sales by business segment and commentary for the third quarter and first nine months of 2018:

Third-quarter 2018 worldwide sales of $7.7 billion increased 12.1 percent on a reported basis. On an organic basis, worldwide sales increased 7.8 percent. Refer to tables titled "Non-GAAP Reconciliation of Adjusted Historical Revenue" for a reconciliation of adjusted historical revenue.

Worldwide Nutrition sales increased 4.0 percent on a reported basis in the third quarter, including an unfavorable 2.1 percent effect of foreign exchange, and increased 6.1 percent on an organic basis.

Worldwide Pediatric Nutrition sales increased 6.6 percent on a reported basis in the third quarter, including an unfavorable 1.9 percent effect of foreign exchange, and increased 8.5 percent on an organic basis. International pediatric sales increased 7.4 percent on a reported basis, including an unfavorable 3.5 percent effect of foreign exchange, and increased 10.9 percent on an organic basis. Strong performance in the quarter was led by above-market growth in the U.S. and double-digit growth in both Asia and Latin America.

Worldwide Adult Nutrition sales increased 0.8 percent on a reported basis in the third quarter, including an unfavorable 2.4 percent effect of foreign exchange, and increased 3.2 percent on an organic basis. International adult sales increased 2.9 percent on a reported basis, including an unfavorable 4.2 percent effect of foreign exchange, and increased 7.1 percent on an organic basis. Sales performance was led by strong growth of Ensure^®, Abbott's market-leading complete and balanced nutrition brand, and Glucerna^®, Abbott's market-leading diabetes-specific nutrition brand. U.S. sales were negatively impacted by Abbott's wind down of a non-core product line.

Worldwide Diagnostics sales increased 42.6 percent on a reported basis in the third quarter. On an organic basis, sales increased 7.5 percent. Refer to tables titled "Non-GAAP Reconciliation of Adjusted Historical Revenue" for a reconciliation of adjusted historical revenue.

Core Laboratory Diagnostics sales increased 5.2 percent on a reported basis in the third quarter, including an unfavorable 2.9 percent effect of foreign exchange, and increased 8.1 percent on an organic basis, reflecting above-market growth in the U.S. and internationally.

Molecular Diagnostics sales increased 4.7 percent on a reported basis in the third quarter, including an unfavorable 1.4 percent effect of foreign exchange, and increased 6.1 percent on an organic basis. Worldwide sales were led by growth in infectious disease testing, Abbott's core area of focus in the molecular diagnostics market.

Point of Care Diagnostics sales increased 3.7 percent on a reported basis in the third quarter, including an unfavorable 0.3 percent effect of foreign exchange, and increased 4.0 percent on an organic basis, led by strong international growth of Abbott's i-STAT^® handheld system.

Rapid Diagnostics worldwide sales of $481 million were led by cardiometabolic testing.

Established Pharmaceuticals sales decreased 0.9 percent on a reported basis in the third quarter, including an unfavorable 6.8 percent effect of foreign exchange, and increased 5.9 percent on an organic basis. As expected, sales growth in the quarter was negatively impacted by a comparison versus the third-quarter 2017, when sales were higher than normal due to channel restocking across the market after implementation of a new tax system in India.

Key Emerging Markets include India, Brazil, Russia and China along with several additional emerging countries that represent the most attractive long-term growth opportunities for Abbott's branded generics product portfolio. Sales in these geographies decreased 2.1 percent on a reported basis in the third quarter, including an unfavorable 8.9 percent effect of foreign exchange, and increased 6.8 percent on an organic basis. Sales growth was led by double-digit growth in China and Russia. Excluding the negative impact from prior year purchasing patterns associated with the implementation of a new tax system in India, Abbott's Key Emerging Markets sales would have increased high-single digits on an organic basis in the third quarter.

Worldwide Medical Devices sales increased 8.4 percent on a reported basis in the third quarter. On an organic basis, sales increased 9.8 percent. Refer to table titled "Non-GAAP Reconciliation of Adjusted Historical Revenue" for a reconciliation of adjusted historical revenue.

In Electrophysiology, growth was led by strong performance in cardiac mapping and ablation catheters as well as strong growth of Abbott's Confirm Rx^TM Insertable Cardiac Monitor (ICM), the world's first and only smartphone-compatible ICM designed to help physicians remotely identify cardiac arrhythmias.

Growth in Structural Heart was driven by several product areas across Abbott's broad portfolio, including AMPLATZER^TM PFO Occluder, a device designed to close a hole-like opening in the heart, and MitraClip, Abbott's market-leading device for the minimally invasive treatment of mitral regurgitation, a leaky heart valve. In September, Abbott announced positive clinical results from its landmark COAPT study, which demonstrated that MitraClip improved survival and clinical outcomes for select patients with functional mitral regurgitation. The COAPT study data will be submitted to the U.S. FDA to support consideration of an expanded indication for MitraClip.

In Diabetes Care, sales increased 37.4 percent on a reported basis and 39.8 percent on an organic basis, led by rapid market uptake of FreeStyle Libre, Abbott's revolutionary sensor-based continuous glucose monitoring system, which removes the need for routine fingersticks¹ for people with diabetes. During the quarter, Abbott received U.S. FDA approval of its FreeStyle Libre 14 day sensor, the longest lasting glucose wearable sensor available. In October, Abbott obtained CE Mark for its FreeStyle Libre 2 system, a next-generation product offering optional real-time alarms. 

ABBOTT'S FULL-YEAR EARNINGS-PER-SHARE GUIDANCE

Abbott is narrowing its 2018 diluted earnings per share from continuing operations under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) to $1.33 to $1.35.

Abbott forecasts net specified items for the full year 2018 of approximately $1.54 per share. Specified items include intangible amortization expense, acquisition-related expenses, charges associated with cost reduction initiatives and other expenses.

Excluding specified items, projected adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations would be $2.87 to $2.89 for the full year 2018.

Abbott is issuing fourth-quarter 2018 guidance for diluted earnings per share from continuing operations under GAAP of $0.39 to $0.41. Abbott forecasts specified items for the fourth quarter 2018 of $0.41 primarily related to intangible amortization, acquisition-related expenses, cost reduction initiatives and other expenses. Excluding specified items, projected adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations would be $0.80 to $0.82 for the fourth quarter.

ABBOTT DECLARES 379^TH CONSECUTIVE QUARTERLY DIVIDEND

On Sept. 13, 2018, the board of directors of Abbott declared the company's quarterly dividend of $0.28 per share. Abbott's cash dividend is payable Nov. 15, 2018, to shareholders of record at the close of business on Oct. 15, 2018.

Abbott has increased its dividend payout for 46 consecutive years and is a member of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index, which tracks companies that have annually increased their dividend for at least 25 consecutive years.

About Abbott:
Abbott is a global healthcare company devoted to improving life through the development of products and technologies that span the breadth of healthcare. With a portfolio of leading, science-based offerings in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic pharmaceuticals, Abbott serves people in more than 150 countries and employs approximately 99,000 people.

Visit Abbott at www.abbott.com and connect with us on Twitter at @AbbottNews.

Abbott will webcast its live third-quarter earnings conference call through its Investor Relations website at www.abbottinvestor.com at 8 a.m. Central time today. An archived edition of the webcast will be available later that day.

— Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 —
A Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Some statements in this news release may be forward-looking statements for purposes of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Abbott cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors that may affect Abbott's operations are discussed in Item 1A, "Risk Factors'' to our Annual Report on Securities and Exchange Commission Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2017, and are incorporated by reference. Abbott undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking statements as a result of subsequent events or developments, except as required by law.

Specified items reflect intangible amortization expense of $544 million and other expenses of $307 million, primarily associated with acquisitions, restructuring actions and other expenses. See tables titled "Details of Specified Items" for additional details regarding specified items.

Specified items reflect intangible amortization expense of $501 million and other expenses of $259 million, primarily associated with acquisitions, restructuring actions and other expenses. See tables titled "Details of Specified Items" for additional details regarding specified items.

Specified items reflect intangible amortization expense of $1.690 billion and other expenses of $696 million, primarily associated with acquisitions, restructuring actions and other expenses. See tables titled "Details of Specified Items" for additional details regarding specified items.

Specified items reflect intangible amortization expense of $1.415 billion and other expenses of $1.800 billion, primarily associated with acquisitions, including approximately $840 million of inventory step-up amortization related to St. Jude Medical, charges related to restructuring actions and other expenses, partially offset by a gain of $1.163 billion from the sale of the AMO business. See tables titled "Details of Specified Items" for additional details regarding specified items.

A reconciliation of the third-quarter tax rates for continuing operations for 2018 and 2017 is shown below:

A reconciliation of the year-to-date tax rates for continuing operations for 2018 and 2017 is shown below: