AbbVie Announces Public Voting Open for the 2019 AbbVie CF Scholarship Thriving Student Awards, Given to Two Exceptional Students Living with Cystic Fibrosis

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill., Sept. 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- AbbVie a research-based global biopharmaceutical company, today announced the start of its public voting period for the 2019 Thriving Undergraduate and Thriving Graduate Scholarship. Following this voting period, scholarships totaling $25,000 each will be given to two commendable students living with cystic fibrosis (CF), an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system.

From today through October 9 at 11:00 AM EST, the public is encouraged to visit the AbbVie CF Scholarship website (www.AbbVieCFScholarship.com) to view the accomplishments of this year’s scholars and vote for their favorites to help determine the 2019 Thriving Undergraduate and Thriving Graduate Scholarship recipients. The public can cast their votes online or via text message by texting the student’s personalized ID code to “78464" during the two-week voting period.

“Continuing my education has not only been challenging physically to keep up with my studies, but also mentally. Being awarded an AbbVie CF Scholarship gave me the peace of mind knowing that I could pursue my dream of becoming a physician assistant without worrying about my family who support the cost of care for my brother who also lives with CF,” said Jacqueline Johnson, 2018 AbbVie CF Scholar and Thriving Graduate Student. “As a physician assistant I will use my curiosity for research and compassion to help others living with CF thrive to their fullest potential.”

Earlier this year, AbbVie selected 40 undergraduate and graduate students living with CF to each receive a $3,000 AbbVie CF Scholarship for use during the 2019-2020 academic year based on their academic excellence, creativity and community involvement/extracurricular activities. These scholars now have the chance to earn the title of 2019 Thriving Undergraduate or Graduate Student along with an additional $22,000 in scholarship funding for use toward their dreams of higher education. The Thriving Scholars will be determined based on a combination of their academic achievements, community involvement/extracurricular activities, essay and creative presentation scores, as well as the number of public votes cast.

During the voting period, the public can show their support for the 40 scholars by tweeting the link below. AbbVie will announce the 2019 Thriving Undergraduate and Graduate Students in late October.

Click to Tweet: Our #cysticfibrosis scholars need your help! Cast a vote to help determine the 2 scholars who will be awarded $25K in scholarship funds as the 2019 AbbVie CF Scholarship Thriving Undergraduate and Graduate Students https://bit.ly/TnPPq1

“Students within the CF community continue to captivate us through their determination to succeed in the classroom and through their creative talents that show us how they overcome challenges in their everyday lives,” said John Duffey, vice president, U.S. Specialty, AbbVie. “At AbbVie, we are proud to continue our commitment to these students and their families through the financial support from the AbbVie CF Scholarship.”

About Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of those living with this condition.¹ In patients with CF, a thick, sticky mucus is produced in certain organs throughout the body, most commonly the lungs and digestive system. The mucus build-up in the lungs can cause difficulty breathing and may lead to life-threatening lung infections. In the digestive system, the thick mucus may prevent proper food digestion, potentially leading to malabsorption and malnutrition.

About the AbbVie CF Scholarship
The AbbVie CF Scholarship was established 27 years ago in recognition of the financial burdens many families touched by CF face and to acknowledge the achievements of students with CF. Since its inception, the scholarship program has awarded over $3 million in scholarships to over 1,000 students. The AbbVie CF Scholarship is part of AbbVie’s ongoing commitment to the CF community, which is comprised of more than 30,000 people in the United States. As of 2016, more than half of the CF population are 18 years or older.¹

It is not necessary for scholarship applicants to have taken, currently take, or intend to take in the future, any medicine or product marketed by AbbVie, and this is not a consideration in the selection criteria. More information about the AbbVie CF Scholarship criteria and application can be found at www.AbbVieCFScholarship.com.

About AbbVie
AbbVie is a global, research and development-based biopharmaceutical company committed to developing innovative advanced therapies for some of the world’s most complex and critical conditions. The company’s mission is to use its expertise, dedicated people and unique approach to innovation to markedly improve treatments across four primary therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, virology and neuroscience. In more than 75 countries, AbbVie employees are working every day to advance health solutions for people around the world. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram.

Forward-Looking Statements
Some statements in this news release are, or may be considered, forward-looking statements for purposes of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “project” and similar expressions, among others, generally identify forward-looking statements. AbbVie cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, competition from other products, challenges to intellectual property, difficulties inherent in the research and development process, adverse litigation or government action, and changes to laws and regulations applicable to our industry. Additional information about the economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors that may affect AbbVie’s operations is set forth in Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” of AbbVie’s 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AbbVie undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking statements as a result of subsequent events or developments, except as required by law.

References
^1. Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. About Cystic Fibrosis. Diagnosis and Genetics. Available at: https://www.cff.org/What-is-CF/About-Cystic-Fibrosis/. Accessed September 2018.

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SOURCE AbbVie