Registration No. 333-________
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                             ----------------------
                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      Under
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                             ----------------------

                               ABBOTT LABORATORIES
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

       Illinois                                      36-0698440
(State or other jurisdiction of                    (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)                     Identification No.)

     Abbott Laboratories                             60064-6400
     100 Abbott Park Road                            (Zip Code)
     Abbott Park, Illinois
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

                ABBOTT LABORATORIES 1996 INCENTIVE STOCK PROGRAM

                            (Full Title of the Plan)

                             ----------------------

                                 Jose M. de Lasa
                               Abbott Laboratories
                              100 Abbott Park Road
                        Abbott Park, Illinois 60064-6400
                     (Name and address of agent for service)
   Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service: (847) 937-5200

                             ----------------------
                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Proposed Proposed Maximum Maximum Aggregate Amount of Title of Securities Amount to be Offering Price Offering Registration to be Registered Registered Per Unit (a) Price (a) Fee (a) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Common shares 10,612,444 $38.54 $409,003,591.76 $107,976.95 (without par value) - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) The Common Shares registered hereunder represent that number of shares with respect to which options may be granted to employees of the Company or its subsidiaries under the Abbott Laboratories 1996 Incentive Stock Program. (An undetermined number of additional shares may be issued if the antidilution provisions of the plan become operative). The filing fee has been calculated in accordance with Rule 457(c) based on the average of the high and low prices of registrant's Common Shares reported in the consolidated reporting system on December 17, 1999. Page 1 of 6 The contents of Abbott Laboratories 1996 Incentive Stock Program Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File no. 333-69547) are incorporated herein by reference. Exhibit Index Located at Page 6 Page 2 of 6 SIGNATURES THE REGISTRANT. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in unincorporated Lake County, and State of Illinois, on December 20, 1999. ABBOTT LABORATORIES By: Miles D. White ------------------------- Miles D. White, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer Exhibit Index Located at Page 6 Page 3 of 6 Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Miles D. White and Jose M. de Lasa, Esq., and each of them, as his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this registration statement, and to file the same with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each act and thing requisite and necessary to be done, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent, or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
SIGNATURE TITLE DATE - --------- ----- ---- /s/ Miles D. White - ---------------------------- Chairman of the Board, December 20, 1999 Miles D. White Chief Executive Officer, and Director of Abbott Laboratories /s/ Robert L. Parkinson, Jr. - ---------------------------- President, Chief Operating December 20, 1999 Robert L. Parkinson, Jr. Officer and Director of Abbott Laboratories /s/ Gary P. Coughlan - ---------------------------- Senior Vice President, December 20, 1999 Gary P. Coughlan Finance and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) of Abbott Laboratories /s/ Gary L. Flynn - ---------------------------- Vice President and December 20, 1999 Gary L. Flynn Controller (Principal Accounting Officer) of Abbott Laboratories /s/ H. Laurance Fuller - ---------------------------- Director of Abbott December 20, 1999 H. Laurance Fuller Laboratories /s/ David A. Jones - ---------------------------- Director of Abbott December 20, 1999 David A. Jones Laboratories /s/ Jeffrey M. Leiden - ---------------------------- Director of Abbott December 20, 1999 Jeffrey M. Leiden Laboratories /s/ David A. L. Owen - ---------------------------- Director of Abbott December 20, 1999 David A. L. Owen Laboratories /s/ Boone Powell, Jr. - ---------------------------- Director of Abbott December 20, 1999 Boone Powell, Jr. Laboratories
Exhibit Index Located at Page 6 Page 4 of 6 /s/ A. Barry Rand - ------------------------- Director of Abbott December 20, 1999 A. Barry Rand Laboratories /s/ W. Ann Reynolds - ------------------------- Director of Abbott December 20, 1999 W. Ann Reynolds Laboratories /s/ Roy S. Roberts - ------------------------- Director of Abbott December 20, 1999 Roy S. Roberts Laboratories /s/ William D. Smithburg - ------------------------- Director of Abbott December 20, 1999 William D. Smithburg Laboratories /s/ John R. Walter - ------------------------- Director of Abbott December 20, 1999 John R. Walter Laboratories /s/ William L. Weiss - ------------------------- Director of Abbott December 20, 1999 William L. Weiss Laboratories
Exhibit Index Located at Page 6 Page 5 of 6 EXHIBIT INDEX
EXHIBIT NO. DESCRIPTION - ----------- ----------- 4 Abbott Laboratories 1996 Incentive Stock Program [incorporated herein by reference; filed as Exhibit 4 to Abbott Laboratories 1996 Incentive Stock Program Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-09071)]. 5 Opinion of Jose M. de Lasa, as to the legality of the securities being registered. 23.1 Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP as to the use of their report and references to their firm. 23.2 The consent of counsel, Jose M. de Lasa, is included in his opinion. 24 Power of Attorney is included on the signature page.
Page 6 of 6


December 20, 1999



Abbott Laboratories
100 Abbott Park Road
Abbott Park, Illinois 60064-6400

Gentlemen:

I am Senior Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel of Abbott
Laboratories, an Illinois corporation, and have advised Abbott Laboratories
in connection with the proposed offering of 10,612,444 shares of the common
stock, without par value, of Abbott Laboratories (the "Shares") pursuant to
the Abbott Laboratories 1996 Incentive Stock Program (the "Program"), which
Program is more fully described in the Registration Statement on Form S-8 to
which this is an exhibit (the "Registration Statement"). The Registration
Statement is being filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. In connection with the proposed
offering and registration, I, or members of my staff, have examined or are
otherwise familiar with:

     (i)   the Registration Statement,

    (ii)   the Restated Articles of Incorporation of Abbott Laboratories,

   (iii)   the By-laws of Abbott Laboratories,

    (iv)   the Program, and

     (v)   the minutes of all of the meetings of the board of directors of
           Abbott Laboratories and of the shareholders of Abbott Laboratories
           relating to the establishment of the Program or the award of
           benefits under the Program.

In addition, I have made such other examinations and have ascertained or
verified to my satisfaction such additional facts as I deem pertinent under
the circumstances.




On the basis of such examinations, I am of the opinion that:

1.   Abbott Laboratories is a corporation duly organized and validly existing
     under the laws of the State of Illinois with full corporate power and
     authority to issue the Shares and having authorized capital of
     2,400,000,000 common shares, of which 1,546,612,254 were outstanding on
     November 30, 1999 and 1,000,000 cumulative preferred shares, par value
     $1.00 per share, none of which are outstanding.

2.   As of November 30, 1999 51,702,648 additional shares of Common Stock were
     reserved for issuance upon the exercise of options or the grant of
     benefits under the Abbott Laboratories 1996 Incentive Stock Program.

3.   All of the legal and corporate proceedings that are necessary in
     connection with the grant of benefits under the Programs and the
     authorization and issuance of the Shares pursuant thereto has been duly
     taken and, after those Shares have been issued in accordance with the
     provisions of the Programs, will be legally issued, fully paid and
     nonassessable outstanding common shares of Abbott Laboratories.

I hereby consent to the use of this legal opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Jose M. de Lasa

Jose M. de Lasa
Senior Vice President,
Secretary and General Counsel


JMdL:bk



                                                                   Exhibit 23.1


                    CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS

     As independent public accountants, we hereby consent to the
incorporation by reference in this registration statement of: (i) our
supplemental report dated January 14, 1999, included in the Abbott
Laboratories Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1998
and (ii) our report dated January 14, 1999, incorporated by reference in the
Abbott Laboratories Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December
31, 1998 and to all references to our firm in the registration statement.

                                         /s/ Arthur Andersen LLP
                                         -----------------------
                                         ARTHUR ANDERSEN LLP


Chicago, Illinois
December 17, 1999