Registration No. 333-
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                         SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              Washington, D.C.  20549
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                                      FORM S-8
                               REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                       Under
                             THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
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                                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                          60064-3500
          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)
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                                  Jose M. de Lasa 
                                Abbott Laboratories 
                                100 Abbott Park Road
                         Abbott Park, Illinois  60064-3500
                      (Name and address of agent for service)
   Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service:  (847) 937-5200
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                           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 10,697,316 $47.35 $506,517,913 $140,812 (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 18, 1998. Page 1 of 6 The contents of Abbott Laboratories 1996 Incentive Stock Program Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File no. 333-43381) 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 23, 1998. ABBOTT LABORATORIES By: /s/ Duane L. Burnham -------------------------- Duane L. Burnham, 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 Duane L. Burnham 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/ Duane L. Burnham Chairman of the Board, December 23, 1998 - ------------------------ Chief Executive Officer, Duane L. Burnham and Director of Abbott Laboratories /s/ K. Frank Austen Director of Abbott December 23, 1998 - ------------------------ Laboratories K. Frank Austen, M.D. /s/ H. Laurance Fuller Director of Abbott December 23, 1998 - ------------------------ Laboratories H. Laurance Fuller /s/ Thomas R. Hodgson President, Chief Operating Officer, December 23, 1998 - ------------------------ and Director of Abbott Laboratories Thomas R. Hodgson /s/ David A. Jones Director of Abbott December 23, 1998 - ------------------------ Laboratories David A. Jones /s/ David A. L. Owen Director of Abbott December 23, 1998 - ------------------------ Laboratories David A. L. Owen /s/ Robert L. Parkinson Executive Vice President and December 23, 1998 - ------------------------ Director of Abbott Laboratories Robert L. Parkinson, Jr. /s/ Boone Powell Director of Abbott December 23, 1998 - ------------------------ Laboratories Boone Powell, Jr. /s/ A. Barry Rand Director of Abbott December 23, 1998 - ------------------------ Laboratories A. Barry Rand W. Ann Reynolds Director of Abbott December 23, 1998 - ------------------------ Laboratories W. Ann Reynolds
Exhibit Index Located at Page 6 Page 4 of 6
Signature Title Date - --------- ----- ---- /s/ Roy S. Roberts Director of Abbott December 23, 1998 - ------------------------ Laboratories Roy S. Roberts /s/ William D. Smithburg Director of Abbott December 23, 1998 - ------------------------ Laboratories William D. Smithburg /s/ John R. Walter Director of Abbott December 23, 1998 - ------------------------ Laboratories John R. Walter /s/ William L. Weiss Director of Abbott December 23, 1998 - ------------------------ Laboratories William L. Weiss /s/ Miles D. White Executive Vice President and December 23, 1998 - ------------------------ Director of Abbott Laboratories Miles D. White /s/ Gary P. Coughlan Senior Vice President, Finance and December 23, 1998 - ------------------------ Chief Financial Officer (Principal Gary P. Coughlan Financial Officer) of Abbott Laboratories /s/ Theodore A. Olson Vice President and December 23, 1998 - ------------------------ Controller (Principal Theodore A. Olson Accounting Officer) of Abbott 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




ABBOTT
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LEGAL DIVISION                               ABBOTT LABORATORIES
                                             100 ABBOTT PARK ROAD
                                             ABBOTT PARK, ILLINOIS 60064-3500



December 23, 1998


Abbott Laboratories
100 Abbott Park Road
Abbott Park, Illinois 60064-3500

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 10,697,316 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 1,515,888,128 were outstanding on 
November 30, 1998 and 1,000,000 cumulative preferred shares, par value 
$1.00 per share, none of which are outstanding.

2.   As of June 1, 1998, 35,762,640 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
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Jose M. de Lasa
Senior Vice President,
Secretary and General Counsel


JMdL/tj



                                                                 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 15, 1998 (except with respect to the matter 
discussed in Note 12, as to which the date is February 13, 1998), included in 
the Abbott Laboratories Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended 
December 31, 1997 and (ii) our report dated January 15, 1998 (except with 
respect to the matter discussed in Note 12, as to which the date is February 13,
1998), incorporated by reference in the Abbott Laboratories Annual Report 
on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1997 and to all references to 
our firm in the registration statement.


                                           /s/ Arthur Andersen LLP
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                                            ARTHUR ANDERSEN LLP


Chicago, Illinois
December 23, 1998