we continue to seek to expand our pipeline by entering into agreements with other companies to develop, license or acquire promising compounds, technologies or capabilities. Collaboration, alliance and license agreements and acquisitions allow us to capitalize on these compounds to expand our pipeline of potential future products. In addition, collaborations and alliances allow us to share risk and to access external scientific and technological expertise.

For information about our pending new drug applications (NDA) and supplemental filings, see the “Revenues—Product Developments— Biopharmaceutical” section of this Financial Review.

We continue to build on our broad portfolio of businesses through various business development transactions. See the “Our Business Development Initiatives” section of this Financial Review for information on our recent transactions and strategic investments that we believe complement our businesses.

We continue to aggressively defend our patent rights against increasingly aggressive infringement whenever appropriate (see Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements—Note 17. Commitments and Contingencies), and we will continue to support efforts that strengthen worldwide recognition of patent rights while taking necessary steps to ensure appropriate patient access. In addition, we will continue to employ innovative approaches to prevent counterfeit pharmaceuticals from entering the supply chain and to achieve greater control over the distribution of our products, and we will continue to participate in the generics market for our products, whenever appropriate, once they lose exclusivity.

We remain focused on achieving an appropriate cost structure for the Company. For information regarding our cost-reduction and productivity initiatives, see the “Costs and Expenses—Restructuring Charges and Other Costs Associated with Acquisitions and Cost-Reduction/ Productivity Initiatives” section of this Financial Review.

Our strategy also includes directly enhancing shareholder value through dividends and share repurchases. On December 17, 2012, our Board of Directors declared a first-quarter 2013 dividend of $0.24 per share, an increase from the $0.22 per-share quarterly dividend paid during 2012. Also, on November 30, 2012, a new $10 billion share repurchase plan, to be utilized over time, became effective.

Our Business Development Initiatives

We are committed to capitalizing on growth opportunities by advancing our own pipeline and maximizing the value of our in-line products, as well as through various forms of business development, which can include alliances, licenses, joint ventures, dispositions and acquisitions. We view our business development activity as an enabler of our strategies, and we seek to generate profitable revenue growth and enhance shareholder value by pursuing a disciplined, strategic and financial approach to evaluating business development opportunities. We are especially interested in opportunities in our five high-priority therapeutic areas—immunology and inflammation; oncology; cardiovascular and metabolic diseases; neuroscience and pain; and vaccines––and in emerging markets and