Abbott seeks new PR partners for Europe and Asia

Abbott Laboratories is set to search for new PR partners in Europe and Asia following significant recent changes to its business model.

The company is inviting up to ten agencies to take part in the European pitching process, according to The Holmes Report, with these efforts being led by Abbott's Ireland-based procurement team.

At the start of the year, Abbott completed the spinoff of its research-based pharmaceutical operations, which have now been established as an independent business called AbbVie, while its remaining portfolio consists of generic medicines, nutritional products, medical devices and diagnostic tools.

As a result of this change, the firm's public affairs function was centralised, meaning many markets no longer have dedicated communications teams.

Because of this, Abbott is reportedly seeking partners to provide pan-European reputation support, as well as crisis management and counselling services covering countries including Austria, Greece, Portugal, Sweden and Switzerland.

The reviews are not expected to affect existing Abbott agency relationships.