Abbott and AbbVie are two of the biggest names in global healthcare, but they’re not the same company - and understanding which one is bigger isn’t just about name recognition. If you’re looking at pharmaceutical manufacturing in India or anywhere else, knowing the scale of these two giants matters for suppliers, investors, and even patients. So, which one’s bigger? The answer isn’t as simple as it seems.
Abbott and AbbVie: A Split, Not a Merge
AbbVie wasn’t always separate from Abbott. In 2013, Abbott Laboratories spun off its research-based pharmaceutical business into a new company called AbbVie. Think of it like a parent company splitting its most profitable division into its own standalone business. Abbott kept its diagnostics, nutrition, and medical devices divisions. AbbVie took over all the drugs - including Humira, the world’s top-selling drug at the time.
Since then, they’ve operated independently. Abbott’s revenue comes from things like blood glucose monitors, infant formula, and heart devices. AbbVie’s revenue comes almost entirely from prescription medicines. That difference in business models is key to understanding which one is bigger - and in what way.
Revenue: AbbVie Leads by a Wide Margin
In 2024, AbbVie reported $54.2 billion in total revenue. Abbott reported $44.5 billion. That’s a difference of nearly $10 billion. AbbVie is clearly larger in terms of annual income. Why? Because it’s focused on high-margin, patent-protected drugs. Humira alone brought in over $18 billion in 2023, even after biosimilars started entering the market.
Abbott’s revenue is more spread out. Its diagnostic division made $11.3 billion, nutrition $10.8 billion, and medical devices $10.1 billion in 2024. No single product dominates like Humira does for AbbVie. That makes Abbott more stable during drug patent expirations, but less explosive in growth.
Market Capitalization: AbbVie’s Stock Is Worth More
Market cap tells you what investors think a company is worth right now. As of October 2025, AbbVie’s market capitalization sits at around $265 billion. Abbott’s is about $210 billion. That’s a $55 billion gap. Investors see AbbVie as having stronger future earnings potential, even though Abbott has more diversified revenue streams.
This gap reflects how the market values drug companies versus diversified healthcare firms. AbbVie is treated like a pure-play pharmaceutical stock - high risk, high reward. Abbott is seen as a steady, defensive play. In bull markets, AbbVie outperforms. In downturns, Abbott holds up better.
Global Footprint: Both Have Strong Presence in India
Both companies have major operations in India. Abbott has been in India since 1947. It runs manufacturing plants in Pune, Chennai, and Bengaluru. Its nutrition products like Similac and Diarex are household names. Abbott Diagnostics supplies testing equipment to hospitals across the country, from tier-1 cities to rural health centers.
AbbVie entered India later, in the early 2000s, but quickly became a key player. Its main manufacturing facility is in Hyderabad. It markets Humira, Rinvoq, and Skyrizi - all high-cost biologics used for autoimmune diseases. These drugs are mostly sold through private hospitals and specialty clinics, targeting middle- and upper-income patients.
Abbott has deeper penetration in public health programs and lower-cost segments. AbbVie focuses on premium, high-margin segments. So while Abbott touches more lives in India through diagnostics and nutrition, AbbVie brings in more revenue per patient.
Workforce: Abbott Employs More People
Abbott has over 115,000 employees globally. AbbVie has about 45,000. That’s more than double. Why? Because Abbott’s business is more labor-intensive. Its diagnostics division needs field technicians, customer support staff, and logistics teams to deliver equipment. Its nutrition business requires sales reps, supply chain workers, and quality control staff across dozens of countries.
AbbVie’s workforce is leaner. Most of its employees are scientists, regulatory experts, and sales reps focused on doctors and hospitals. Its manufacturing is highly automated. So while AbbVie makes more money per employee, Abbott employs far more people overall.
Research Spending: AbbVie Invests Heavily in New Drugs
In 2024, AbbVie spent $8.3 billion on research and development. Abbott spent $3.1 billion. That’s a 2.7x difference. AbbVie’s entire strategy is built on developing new drugs to replace Humira’s revenue as patents expire. It’s betting big on drugs like Rinvoq (for rheumatoid arthritis) and Skyrizi (for psoriasis).
Abbott’s R&D is more about improving existing products - better glucose sensors, faster diagnostic machines, more affordable infant formula. It’s innovation, but not breakthrough drug discovery. That’s why AbbVie’s pipeline has more late-stage candidates and higher potential for future revenue spikes.
Which One Is Really Bigger?
Here’s the bottom line: AbbVie is bigger in revenue, market value, and R&D spending. It’s the more valuable, more aggressive player. Abbott is bigger in workforce, geographic reach, and product diversity. It’s the more resilient, more widespread player.
If you’re asking which company has more influence in India’s pharmaceutical manufacturing space, the answer depends on what you care about. If you’re a supplier of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), you’ll likely work with both - but AbbVie buys higher-purity, higher-cost materials. If you’re a hospital administrator buying diagnostic equipment, you’re probably buying from Abbott.
AbbVie is the powerhouse of drug innovation. Abbott is the backbone of everyday healthcare delivery. Neither is ‘better’ - they just serve different roles in the global health ecosystem.
What This Means for India’s Pharma Industry
India’s generic drug makers often supply both companies. Companies like Sun Pharma, Dr. Reddy’s, and Cipla make APIs and finished dosage forms for AbbVie’s branded drugs. They also produce Abbott’s diagnostics reagents and nutritional supplements under contract.
Abbott’s long-standing presence means it’s deeply integrated into India’s public health infrastructure. AbbVie’s newer, high-cost drugs are pushing Indian hospitals to upgrade their infrastructure and training to handle biologics.
Both companies are investing in local manufacturing. Abbott expanded its Bengaluru facility in 2023 to produce next-gen glucose monitors for Asia. AbbVie opened a new biologics packaging unit in Hyderabad in 2024 to serve the entire region.
So while AbbVie may be the bigger company on paper, Abbott’s footprint in India’s healthcare system is deeper and more diverse. The two aren’t rivals - they’re complementary.
Quick Summary
- AbbVie has higher revenue ($54.2B), market cap ($265B), and R&D spending ($8.3B), making it the larger pharmaceutical company.
- Abbott has a larger workforce (115K vs 45K), more diversified products, and deeper roots in India’s public health system.
- AbbVie focuses on high-margin drugs; Abbott focuses on diagnostics, nutrition, and devices.
- Both have major manufacturing in India, but serve different segments - Abbott for mass-market, AbbVie for premium biologics.
- AbbVie is bigger in financial terms. Abbott is bigger in reach and impact.
Is AbbVie part of Abbott anymore?
No. AbbVie was spun off from Abbott in 2013 as a completely separate public company. They share no ownership, management, or board members. They operate independently with different strategies, products, and financial reports.
Which company has more products in India?
Abbott has more products in India, especially in the mass-market segment. It sells infant formula, blood glucose monitors, diagnostic kits, and over-the-counter medicines like Diarex. AbbVie focuses on a smaller number of high-cost prescription drugs like Humira and Rinvoq, mostly sold in private hospitals.
Does AbbVie manufacture drugs in India?
Yes. AbbVie has a manufacturing and packaging facility in Hyderabad that produces biologic drugs like Skyrizi and Rinvoq for the Indian and Southeast Asian markets. It also partners with Indian contract manufacturers for some generic and intermediate products.
Which company employs more people in India?
Abbott employs more people in India, with over 8,000 staff across its diagnostic, nutrition, and medical device divisions. AbbVie has around 2,500 employees in India, mostly in sales, medical affairs, and its Hyderabad facility.
Why does AbbVie spend so much more on R&D than Abbott?
AbbVie’s business depends on launching new drugs to replace revenue lost when patents expire - like with Humira. Abbott’s revenue comes from devices and nutrition, which don’t rely on patent cliffs. Abbott’s R&D focuses on incremental improvements, not breakthrough drugs.
What’s Next?
If you’re in India’s pharma supply chain, track both companies closely. Abbott’s expansion in diagnostics and nutrition means more demand for packaging, sensors, and raw ingredients. AbbVie’s push into biologics means more need for cold-chain logistics, sterile filling lines, and high-purity APIs.
Don’t assume bigger means better. AbbVie may have higher profits, but Abbott’s stability gives it more long-term partnerships. In India, where healthcare access is uneven, Abbott’s wide reach may matter more than AbbVie’s revenue numbers.
Jan 31 2025
