ABBOTT PARK, Ill.— Abbott (NYSE: ABT) released financial results this week for the third quarter ending Sept. 30, 2014. Worldwide sales of $5.1 billion from continuing operations increased 5.8 percent (on a reported basis) in the third quarter when compared with the previous year’s third quarter ending Sept. 30, 2013, according to the results released on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2014.

Net earnings were $538 million in Q3 2014, down 44.2 percent when compared with the third quarter of 2013. (Following the company’s sale of its developed markets branded generics pharmaceuticals business to Mylan on July 14, 2014, beginning this quarter financial results from this business have been excluded from continuing operations.)

"We reported another quarter of sequential sales growth, including improved performance in our branded generics pharmaceuticals and nutrition businesses, and we are particularly pleased with the growth in our vision care business," said Miles D. White, chairman and chief executive officer, Abbott.

Abbott’s Medical Devices business achieved worldwide sales of $1.3 billion in the third quarter of 2014 (down 1 percent on a reported basis when compared with Q3 2013), including the company’s Medical Optics division, which reached international sales of $189 million (up 5.2 percent on a reported basis) and U.S. sales of $110 million (up 14 percent on a reported basis) for total sales of $299 million (up 8.3 percent on a reported basis) in Q3 2014.

Sales of cataract products, which represent nearly 70 percent of Medical Optics sales, increased in the double digits, outpacing the growth of the global cataract market, according to the results report. This performance was driven by continued share gains of recently launched intraocular lenses (IOLs), as well as further penetration of Abbott's Catalys Precision Laser System for cataract surgery. In addition, Abbott recently announced that it will broaden its global presence by building a new manufacturing facility in Malaysia to support growing global demand for its IOLs.

International sales from continuing operations, which comprise approximately 70 percent of total Abbott sales, increased 10.2 percent on an operational basis and 8.9 percent on a reported basis in the third quarter, according to the results.

Emerging market sales from continuing operations, which will now comprise nearly 50 percent of total Abbott sales, increased 15.0 percent on an operational basis and 13.8 percent on a reported basis in the third quarter, driven by double-digit growth in the company’s Nutrition, Diagnostics and Established Pharmaceuticals businesses.