Who Owns Allergan?
Allergan is owned by AbbVie Inc. (NYSE: ABBV), which acquired the company in May 2020 for approximately $63 billion. The Allergan name now survives primarily as Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company headquartered in Irvine, California, that markets Botox Cosmetic, Juvederm, CoolSculpting, and related products.
Allergan Timeline
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Who Owns Allergan?
- Parent Company: AbbVie Inc.
- Ownership Type: Subsidiary
- Acquisition Year: 2020
- Company Type: Publicly Traded
- Stock Ticker: NYSE: ABBV
| Brand | Parent Company | Ownership Type |
|---|---|---|
| Allergan | AbbVie Inc. | Subsidiary |
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History of Allergan
- Founded: 1948
- Founders: Gavin S. Herbert Sr.
- Acquired by AbbVie Inc.: 2020
Pharmacist Gavin S. Herbert Sr. founded Allergan Pharmaceuticals in Los Angeles in 1948, building it initially on antihistamine eye drops. The company grew into one of the dominant names in ophthalmology through the second half of the 20th century.
Allergan's modern identity formed through repeated reinvention. SmithKline acquired it in 1957, then sold it in 1980. As an independent company it launched or acquired products that defined its categories: Botox, the neurotoxin discovered for eye muscle disorders that later became the world's best-known cosmetic injectable; Restasis for dry eye; and the Lumigan glaucoma franchise.
A second life began in 2015 when generic drugmaker Actavis acquired Allergan for about $70.5 billion and adopted the Allergan name for the combined company, creating one of the world's largest pharma businesses at the time. The new Allergan then sold its generics division to Teva in 2016 for roughly $40 billion.
AbbVie bought Allergan in May 2020 mainly for the aesthetics and neuroscience portfolio, arguing that Botox, Juvederm, Vraylar, and Ubrelvy would diversify revenue ahead of Humira's patent loss. The corporate entity was dissolved into AbbVie, and the surviving consumer-facing identity became Allergan Aesthetics under longtime executive Carrie Strom, who led the unit until April 2025.
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About AbbVie Inc.
What does AbbVie own?
AbbVie owns a portfolio of prescription drug brands including Skyrizi, Rinvoq, Humira, Imbruvica, Venclexta, Vraylar, Ubrelvy, Qulipta, and Elahere, plus the aesthetics products Botox Cosmetic and Juvederm acquired through the 2020 Allergan deal. All are internally held product brands rather than separate subsidiaries.
Is AbbVie publicly traded?
Yes. AbbVie trades on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker ABBV and is a component of the S&P 500. It has traded publicly since its January 2013 spin-off from Abbott Laboratories, and Abbott retains no ownership stake.
Who founded AbbVie?
AbbVie was not founded by individuals but created as a corporate spin-off from Abbott Laboratories in 2013, led at launch by CEO Richard A. Gonzalez. Its operating heritage traces to Dr. Wallace C. Abbott, who founded Abbott's predecessor drug company in Chicago in 1888.
Where is AbbVie headquartered?
AbbVie is headquartered in North Chicago, Illinois, in the same suburban Chicago corridor where Abbott has long been based. Its principal offices sit at 1 North Waukegan Road.
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How many brands does AbbVie own?
AbbVie markets roughly a dozen major product brands, led by Skyrizi, Rinvoq, Humira, Botox, Juvederm, Imbruvica, and Venclexta, plus smaller products across eye care and neuroscience. Unlike consumer conglomerates, its brands are individual prescription medicines rather than retail labels.
Who owns AbbVie?
AbbVie is owned by public shareholders, with Vanguard, BlackRock, and State Street as the largest institutional holders. Robert A. Michael serves as chairman and chief executive officer. No founding family or single shareholder controls the company.
What happened to Humira?
U.S. biosimilar competitors launched in January 2023 after AbbVie's patent settlements allowed entry. Humira worldwide revenue fell from a $21.2 billion peak in 2022 to $4.54 billion in 2025, while Skyrizi and Rinvoq grew to replace it, pushing total company revenue to a record $61.16 billion.
- Founded: 2013
- Headquarters: North Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Company Type: Publicly Traded
- Stock: NYSE: ABBV
- Revenue: $61.16 billion (FY2025)
- Employees: Approximately 55,000
Where Is Allergan Made / Based?
- Headquarters: Irvine, California, USA
Allergan Categories & Tags
Allergan Recalls & Controversies
The pre-acquisition Allergan carried several documented controversies that transferred to AbbVie. The FDA recalled textured breast implants sold under the Allergan name in 2019 after a link to a rare lymphoma, a worldwide market withdrawal that produced years of litigation.
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Allergan also faced opioid-era scrutiny over its pharmaceutical marketing and a 2017 patent maneuver in which it transferred Restasis patents to the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe in an attempt to shield them from review, a move that drew bipartisan congressional condemnation before courts rejected the strategy.
Under AbbVie, the aesthetics business faces a more routine controversy: persistent criticism of cosmetic injectable marketing to younger consumers, which regulators in several countries have examined without major action to date.
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Allergan Ownership: Pros & Cons
Advantages
- +AbbVie's scale funds aesthetics R&D and global marketing
- +Integration gives the aesthetics unit regulatory and manufacturing depth
- +Diversified parent cushions aesthetics demand downturns
- +Botox's therapeutic uses share platform technology with cosmetic lines
Considerations
- -Aesthetics is a small priority inside a much larger company
- -Leadership turnover including the April 2025 departure of Carrie Strom
- -Consumer-driven revenue is economically sensitive
- -Legacy Allergan liabilities transferred to AbbVie
Frequently Asked Questions About Allergan
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Sources & Further Reading
Competitors to Allergan
No direct competitors found in the same category. This could be because Allerganoperates in a unique market segment or we're still building our competitor database.
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Independent Alternatives to Allergan
Looking for brands with different ownership structures? These similar brands are not owned by AbbVie Inc., giving you alternative choices that support different corporate structures.
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Owned by Adcock Ingram Holdings Limited
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Adcock Ingram is privately owned, unlike Allergan which is under a publicly traded parent company.
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Boehringer Ingelheim is privately owned, unlike Allergan which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Healthcare PharmaceuticalsJardiance
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Healthcare PharmaceuticalsVSP Vision Care
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VSP Vision Care is the vision benefits insurance brand of VSP Vision, the largest not-for-profit vision benefits company in the United States.
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VSP Vision Care is privately owned, unlike Allergan which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Healthcare Pharmaceuticals23andMe
Owned by TTAM Research Institute
Consumer DNA testing brand now run as a nonprofit under TTAM Research Institute following the 2025 bankruptcy sale of 23andMe Holding Co.
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23andMe is privately owned, unlike Allergan which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Healthcare PharmaceuticalsArthrex
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Orthopedic device brand of privately held Arthrex Inc., specializing in arthroscopic surgery products sold in more than 100 countries.
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Arthrex is privately owned, unlike Allergan which is under a publicly traded parent company.
AbbVie Inc. Stock Information
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