By Ransdell Pierson of ReutersNEW YORK -- Abbott Laboratories...

By Ransdell Pierson of Reuters

NEW YORK -- Abbott Laboratories Inc second-quarter earnings have jumped a higher-than-expected 34 per cent, fuelled by booming sales of its medical devices, Humira arthritis treatment and other drugs.

Based on the results, the suburban Chicago company slightly raised its 2008 profit forecast, saying Humira will generate global sales of more than $4.3 billion this year.

"Abbott did exceptionally well across the board," said RBC Capital analyst Phil Nalbone, who noted that Humira's almost 50 per cent sales growth took him by surprise.

Humira, an injectable drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease, has become one of the world's top-selling medicines and is considered a linchpin of Abbott's future earnings growth.