Patients and advocates angry over Abbott Laboratories Inc.'s
decision to raise the price of a key AIDS drug took their gripes to
the drug maker's annual shareholder meeting today. Several dozen
protesters, including AIDS advocates, patients and senior citizens
upset about the high price of other Abbott drugs converged outside
Abbott's headquarters where shareholders were meeting.

Representatives from Citizen Action/Illinois, the AIDS Treatment
Activists Coalition, and the Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans
forged a partnership to organize the protest.

"Abbott's recent 400% price increase for its AIDS drug Norvir is
one example of the ways the pharmaceutical giant is driving up the
cost of life-saving drugs," organizers stated. "Norvir can help
reduce the amount of HIV in the body when used as part of an anti-
HIV drug combination. Similarly, the cost of Abbott's Synthroid, a
synthetic thyroid drug commonly used by seniors, has increased 10
times in a five-year period."

"I think Abbott was hoping the AIDS community had grown soft and
fat," said Jim Pickett, 38, an AIDS patient and advocate who lives
in Chicago. He said he wanted shareholders to be aware of
the "unprecedented and immoral" price increase.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced plans to launch an
investigation into Abbott's decision to increase the price of
Norvir. New York State's attorney general is also looking into
Abbott's pricing practices.

Norvir, generically called ritonavir, is a component of many AIDS-
fighting cocktails and helps quell the HIV virus that causes AIDS.
It is unique in that it boosts the effectiveness of other AIDS
drugs. The pharmaceutical company made a decision last December to
raise the price of Norvir, a key component of many AIDS-fighting
cocktails. Since then, doctors have urged a boycott and the nation's
largest AIDS organization sued the company in protest.

On Monday two patients filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court
for Northern California, seeking damages and an injunction to halt
the higher prices. A group of protesters organized by the AIDS
Healthcare Foundation and others, on Monday morning launched a 34-
hour vigil in front of an Abbott Labs location in South Pasadena,
California. Demonstrators at the Southern California vigil carried
signs that read "Abbott Labs: 'Getting fat on AIDS'"

Abbott reported $5.22 billion in revenue for the period January to
March 2004 -- a 14% increase over the company's revenue for the same
period last year. Sources: Windy City Times, Forbes, Reuters, iWon,
Aids Treatment Activist Coalition, Citizens Action (Illinois)

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