AbbVie updates 2026 EPS guidance for Q2 acquired IPR&D charge

AbbVie disclosed in an 8-K filed July 6, 2026 that its second-quarter results will carry a pretax charge of $291 million tied to acquired in-process research and development (IPR&D) and milestones expense, which will reduce both GAAP and adjusted diluted earnings per share by $0.17. Reported GAAP earnings and adjusted non-GAAP earnings for the second quarter of 2026 are expected to include acquired IPR&D and milestones expense of $291 million on a pre-tax basis, representing an unfavorable impact of $0.17 to both GAAP diluted earnings per share and adjusted non-GAAP diluted earnings per share.¹ The company cautioned that results for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 have not been finalized and are subject to financial statement closing procedures, and there can be no assurance that final results will not differ from these preliminary estimates.¹

AbbVie explained that it does not build these charges into forward guidance because it cannot predict when such licensing or acquisition deals will occur. The company said acquired IPR&D and milestones expense can arise from collaborations, licensing agreements, and other asset acquisitions, but it does not forecast such expense because the timing and occurrence of these deals are uncertain; the adjusted EPS guidance for 2026 issued on April 29, 2026 had excluded any impact from such expense incurred after the first quarter.¹

With the newly disclosed Q2 charge folded in, AbbVie revised its guidance ranges. The company's full-year 2026 adjusted diluted EPS guidance, including the second-quarter charge, is now $13.91 to $14.11, and its second-quarter 2026 adjusted diluted EPS guidance, including that charge, is $3.57 to $3.61.¹ The filing notes that this updated guidance still excludes any acquired IPR&D and milestones expense that may occur after the second quarter, since such items remain unpredictable in timing and scale.