What AbbVie actually looks for
AbbVie, headquartered in North Chicago, Illinois, was spun off from Abbott Laboratories in 2013 specifically to house Abbott's pharmaceutical business, most notably Humira, which became the best-selling drug in the world for years before losing US patent exclusivity in 2023 and facing biosimilar competition. That transition is central to how AbbVie talks about itself now: the company has pushed hard to grow successor immunology drugs Skyrizi and Rinvoq fast enough to offset Humira's decline, and interviewers in commercial and strategy roles expect you to understand this handoff in specific terms, not just acknowledge it happened. AbbVie also acquired Allergan in 2020, adding Botox and aesthetics to its portfolio alongside its immunology and oncology work. Because AbbVie built its whole modern identity around navigating one of the largest patent cliffs in pharma history, candidates should expect real scrutiny of how they think about revenue risk and succession planning for blockbuster drugs.
Common questions and how to answer them
How is AbbVie managing the transition from Humira to Skyrizi and Rinvoq? Reference the specific strategy of accelerating uptake of these successor immunology drugs ahead of and through Humira's biosimilar erosion, and show you understand this as one of the most closely watched patent-cliff transitions in the industry. What did AbbVie gain from acquiring Allergan, and how does it fit the overall portfolio? Talk about diversification into aesthetics and neuroscience (including Botox) as a way to reduce dependence on immunology alone. How would you think about pricing strategy for a drug facing new biosimilar competition? Show understanding of rebating, contracting with payers, and how originator companies typically respond commercially once biosimilars enter a market. In each case, be specific about Skyrizi and Rinvoq's role as Humira's successors, since interviewers want to see you understand this handoff in concrete commercial terms, not just as a general trend.
How to prepare
Know the Humira patent cliff story cold: when US biosimilar competition began, and how Skyrizi and Rinvoq have performed as successor products, since this is the single most discussed strategic narrative at AbbVie right now. Understand what the Allergan acquisition added to AbbVie's portfolio beyond immunology, specifically Botox and aesthetics. Be ready to discuss AbbVie's approach to biosimilar competition generally, since it's a live issue not just for Humira but increasingly across the broader industry. Expect commercial interviews to include a case study modeling how you'd defend market share against biosimilar competition, since this is the central challenge AbbVie's commercial teams manage in practice.