AbbVie appoints Dr. John M. Carethers to board

Dr. Carethers will serve on the Public Policy and Sustainability Committee and is entitled to compensation as an independent director.

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) expanded its Board of Directors from 12 to 13 directors on October 14, 2026, appointing Dr. John M. Carethers as a Class II director. Dr. Carethers serves as Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences at the University of California San Diego and was previously a director of Avantor, Inc.

Dr. Carethers joins the Public Policy and Sustainability Committee. The Board determined that he meets the independent-director standards in the New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual and AbbVie’s governance guidelines. He is entitled to compensation as an independent director under terms disclosed in AbbVie’s quarterly report for the period ended March 31, 2025.

8-K Event Classification

Item 5.02 — Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers

1 item

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers Governance

Key personnel changes including departures, elections, or appointments of directors and executive officers.

Key Figures

Board size before appointment: 12 directors Board size after appointment: 13 directors

2 metrics

Board size before appointment 12 directors Before the October 14, 2026 appointment

Board size after appointment 13 directors After the October 14, 2026 appointment

Key Terms

Class II director, independent director, Director Independence Guidelines

3 terms

Class II director regulatory

"appointed as a Class II director"

A class II director is a member of a company’s board who belongs to one of several staggered groups of directors, each group standing for election in different years. For investors, this matters because staggered terms slow wholesale board turnover—like rotating members of a neighborhood committee—making sudden changes in control or strategy harder and affecting how quickly shareholders can influence corporate direction.

independent director regulatory

"is an “independent director”"

An independent director is a member of a company's board of directors who is not involved in the company's day-to-day operations and has no significant relationships with the company that could influence their judgment. Their role is to provide unbiased oversight and ensure the company is managed in the best interests of all shareholders. This helps build trust and confidence among investors by promoting transparency and accountability.

Director Independence Guidelines regulatory

"Governance Guidelines and Director Independence Guidelines"

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

Who did ABBV appoint to its board?

AbbVie appointed Dr. John M. Carethers as a Class II director on October 14, 2026.

Was ABBV’s new director determined to be independent?

AbbVie’s Board determined that Dr. Carethers is an independent director under the standards in section 303A.02 of the New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual and AbbVie’s Governance Guidelines and Director Independence Guidelines.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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Available on EDGAR 10/15/2026 - 04:01 PM EDT Accepted by SEC EDGAR 10/15/2026 - 04:00 PM EDT Learn about SEC filing dates

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): October 14, 2026

ABBVIE INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware		001-35565		32-0375147
(State or other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)		(Commission File Number)		(IRS Employer Identification No.)

1 North Waukegan Road

North Chicago, Illinois 60064-6400

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (847) 932-7900

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

¨	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
¨	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
¨	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
¨	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class		Trading Symbol(s)		Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.01 Par Value		ABBV		New York Stock Exchange
				NYSE Texas
0.750% Senior Notes due 2027		ABBV27		New York Stock Exchange
2.125% Senior Notes due 2028		ABBV28		New York Stock Exchange
2.625% Senior Notes due 2028		ABBV28B		New York Stock Exchange
2.125% Senior Notes due 2029		ABBV29		New York Stock Exchange
1.250% Senior Notes due 2031		ABBV31		New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ¨

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangement of Certain Officers

On October 14, 2026, AbbVie Inc. (“AbbVie”) expanded the size of its Board of Directors (the “Board”) from twelve directors to thirteen directors and appointed Dr. John M. Carethers as a Class II director. Dr. Carethers currently serves as the Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences at the University of California San Diego and was previously a director of Avantor, Inc. Dr. Carethers has been appointed to the Public Policy and Sustainability Committee of AbbVie. The Board affirmatively determined that Dr. Carethers is an “independent director” under each of the standards set forth in section 303A.02 of the New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual and AbbVie’s Governance Guidelines and Director Independence Guidelines. Dr. Carethers will be entitled to compensation as an independent director as disclosed in Exhibit 10.5 to AbbVie’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2025.

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

			ABBVIE INC.
Date:	October 15, 2026	By:	/s/ Perry C. Siatis
			Perry C. Siatis
			Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

Filing Exhibits & Attachments

4 documents

Other Documents

• EX-101 XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION SCHEMA 4.4 KB
• EX-101 XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION DEFINITION LINKBASE 29.2 KB
• EX-101 XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION LABEL LINKBASE 39.1 KB
• EX-101 XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION PRESENTATION LINKBASE 27.5 KB