We sent you this proxy statement and the enclosed WHITE proxy card or instruction form because the Company’s Board of Directors (your “Board”) is soliciting your proxy to vote at the Annual Meeting to be held on Wednesday, August 7, 2013 and at any adjournments or postponements of the Annual Meeting. This proxy statement summarizes information that is intended to assist you in making an informed vote on the proposals described in this proxy statement.

Who May Vote

Holders of our common stock, as recorded in our stock register at the close of business on June 14, 2013, may vote on matters properly presented at the Annual Meeting. As of that date, there were              shares of our common stock outstanding, each of which is entitled to cast one vote per share. A list of stockholders will be available for inspection for at least ten days prior to the Annual Meeting at the principal executive offices of your Company at 51 Sawyer Road, Suite 200, Waltham, MA 02453.

Matters to Be Voted Upon at the Annual Meeting

You will be voting on the following matters:

Voting Requirements

In order to carry on the business of the Annual Meeting, we must have a quorum. Under our bylaws, this means that at least a majority of the shares outstanding on the record date and entitled to vote must be present in person or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting. Proxies marked as abstaining or withheld, limited proxies and proxies containing broker non-votes (as defined below) with respect to any matter to be acted upon by stockholders will be treated as present at the Annual Meeting for purposes of determining a quorum, but will not be counted as votes cast on such matter.

If you hold your shares through a broker, bank or other nominee (i.e., in “street name”), you must instruct your broker or nominee how to vote your shares. If you do not provide timely voting instructions, your broker may or may not have the discretion to vote the shares you beneficially own. A “broker non-vote” occurs when a broker or other nominee does not receive voting instructions from a beneficial owner and does not have the discretion to vote the beneficial owner’s shares on a proposal. In the case of a broker non-vote, your broker or nominee can register your shares as being present at the Annual Meeting for purposes of determining the presence of a quorum, but will not be able to vote your shares on those matters for which it requires

specific voting instructions from the beneficial owner.

Under the rules of the New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE, we anticipate that all of the proposals in this proxy statement will be non-discretionary matters for which specific voting instructions from beneficial owners are required. As a result, brokers and other nominees subject to the NYSE rules will not be allowed to vote with respect to any proposal on behalf of a beneficial owner if the beneficial owner does not provide specific voting instructions on that proposal.

The vote requirement for each matter is as follows:

Director nominees must be elected by a plurality of the votes properly cast at the Annual Meeting. This means that the four nominees receiving the highest number of FOR votes will be elected as directors. Votes may be cast FOR or

WITHHELD FROM each nominee. Votes that are WITHHELD FROM the nominees and broker non-votes will be excluded entirely from the vote and will have no effect on the outcome of the election.

Under our bylaws, the approval of the proposal to amend the 2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan to increase the number of shares of common stock available for issuance thereunder requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes properly cast FOR and AGAINST the proposal. In order to satisfy the rules of the NYSE, however, the total votes cast on the proposal must represent over 50% in interest of all securities entitled to vote on the proposal, a requirement that we refer to as the NYSE Voting Requirement. Under the rules of the NYSE, abstentions will count as votes cast with

respect to this matter; accordingly, abstentions will be included in determining whether the NYSE Voting Requirement has been achieved, but will have the same effect as votes AGAINST the proposal. Broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast on this matter; accordingly, broker non-votes will make it more difficult for the NYSE Voting Requirement to be achieved (as they will not be included), but if the NYSE Voting Requirement is achieved, they will have no effect on the outcome of the vote.

The approval of the proposal to grant options to certain executives requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes properly cast FOR and AGAINST the proposal. Abstentions and broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast on this matter and, accordingly, will have no effect on the outcome of the vote.

Even if this proposal is approved by our stockholders, we do not intend to implement it unless Proposal 2 (Approval of an Increase in the Number of Shares of Common Stock Available for Issuance under the 2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan) is approved.

Under our bylaws, the approval of the proposal to amend the 2001 Employee Stock Purchase Plan to increase the number of shares of common stock available for issuance thereunder requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes properly cast FOR and AGAINST the proposal. Like Proposal 2, however, this proposal is subject to the NYSE Voting Requirement. Under the rules of the NYSE, abstentions will count as votes cast with respect to this matter; accordingly, abstentions will

be included in determining whether the NYSE Voting Requirement has been achieved, but will have the same effect as votes AGAINST the proposal. Broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast on this matter; accordingly, broker non-votes will make it more difficult for the NYSE Voting Requirement to be achieved (as they will not be included), but if the NYSE Voting Requirement is achieved, they will have no effect on the outcome of the vote.

The ratification of the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2013 requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes properly cast FOR

and AGAINST this proposal. Abstentions and broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast on this matter and, accordingly, will have no effect on the outcome of the vote.

The approval of the non-binding proposal to approve the compensation of our named executive officers requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes properly cast FOR and AGAINST this

proposal. Abstentions and broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast on this matter and, accordingly, will have no effect on the outcome of the vote.

Your Board recommends that you vote:

How to Vote

Your vote is important. Your shares can be voted at the Annual Meeting only if you are present in person or represented by proxy. Even if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, we urge you to authorize your WHITE proxy in advance. We encourage you to authorize your proxy electronically by following the instructions on the enclosed WHITE proxy card or by calling the toll-free number (for residents of the United States and Canada) listed on your WHITE proxy card. Please have your WHITE proxy card or voting instruction form in hand when going online or calling. If you authorize your proxy electronically or by telephone, you do not need to return your proxy card. If you choose to authorize your proxy by mail, simply mark your WHITE proxy card, and then date, sign and return it in the postage-paid envelope provided.

If you hold your shares in street name, i.e., through a nominee (such as a bank or broker), you may be able to authorize your proxy by telephone or the Internet as well as by mail. You should follow the instructions you receive from your broker or other nominee to vote these shares.

How Proxies Work

Your Board is asking for your authority for our designated proxy holders, Ron Zwanziger and Ellen Chiniara (or their substitutes), to vote your shares at the Annual Meeting, and at any adjournment or postponement thereof, in the manner you direct. With respect to the election of directors, you may vote FOR all, some or none of our nominees for director. With respect to the other proposals, you may vote FOR or AGAINST the proposal or ABSTAIN from voting.

Your shares will be voted at the Annual Meeting as directed by your WHITE proxy card, voting instructions or electronic proxy, if: (1) you are entitled to vote, (2) your proxy was properly executed or properly authorized electronically or by telephone, (3) we received your proxy prior to the Annual Meeting and (4) you did not revoke your proxy prior to or at the Annual Meeting.

If you authorize your WHITE proxy electronically or by telephone or send a properly executed WHITE proxy without specific voting instructions, the designated proxy holders will vote your shares FOR the election of our nominees for director and FOR any other proposals for which your Board has made a recommendation.

As of the date hereof, we do not know of any other business that will be presented at the Annual Meeting. If other business shall properly come before the Annual Meeting, including any proposal submitted by a stockholder that was omitted from this proxy statement in accordance with applicable federal securities laws, the designated proxy holders will vote your shares according to their best judgment.

Changing Your Vote or Revoking a Proxy

You may change your vote or revoke your proxy at any time before it is voted at the Annual Meeting by

Attendance at the Annual Meeting will not by itself revoke a previously granted proxy. IF YOU HOLD YOUR SHARES IN STREET NAME, YOU SHOULD FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS YOU RECEIVE FROM YOUR BROKER OR OTHER NOMINEE TO REVOKE YOUR PROXY.

Solicitation

In addition to this mailing, our employees may solicit proxies personally, electronically or by telephone, press release, facsimile, telegraph, the Internet or advertisements. We will pay all of the costs of this proxy solicitation. We will also reimburse brokers, banks, nominees and other fiduciaries for their expenses in sending these materials to you and getting your voting instructions. We have also engaged The Proxy Advisory Group, LLC to assist us with the solicitation of proxies, and provide related advice and informational support, for a services fee, plus customary disbursements, which, in the aggregate, are not anticipated to exceed $65,000. The Proxy Advisory Group expects that approximately 20 of its personnel will assist in the solicitation.

Our aggregate expenses, including those of The Proxy Advisory Group, related to our solicitation of proxies in excess of those normally spent for an Annual Meeting as a result of the potential proxy

contest and excluding salaries and wages of our regular employees, are expected to be approximately $            , of which approximately $         has been spent to date. Appendix A sets forth information relating to our director nominees as well as certain of our directors, officers and employees who are considered “participants” in our solicitation under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission by reason of their position as directors or director nominees of your Company or because they may be soliciting proxies on our behalf.

If You Receive More Than One WHITE Proxy Card or Voting Instruction Form

If you hold your shares in multiple accounts or registrations, or in both registered and street name, you will receive a proxy card or voting instruction form for each account. Please sign, date and return all proxy cards you receive from the Company. If you choose to vote by phone or via the Internet, please vote once for each proxy card you receive. Only your latest dated proxy for each account will be voted.

Dissenter’s Rights

Under Delaware law, you will not have dissenter’s, appraisal or other similar rights with respect to any of the proposals set forth in this proxy statement.

Multiple Stockholders Sharing the Same Address

Please note that brokers may deliver only one set of proxy materials to multiple stockholders sharing an address unless we have received contrary instructions from one or more of those stockholders. This practice, known as “householding,” is designed

to reduce printing and postage costs. If any stockholder residing at such an address wishes to receive a separate set of proxy materials, we will promptly deliver a separate copy to any stockholder upon written or oral request to Doug Guarino at Alere Inc., 51 Sawyer Road, Suite 200, Waltham, MA 02453, by telephone at (781) 647-3900 or by e-mail at doug.guarino@alere.com. Stockholders can also contact Doug Guarino in this manner to indicate that they wish to receive separate sets of proxy materials, as applicable, in the future or to request that we send only a single set of materials to stockholders sharing an address who are currently receiving multiple copies.

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting

The proxy statement and annual report to stockholders are available at             . We will also post any additional soliciting materials that we may use on that website. You can read, print, download and search these materials at that website. The website does not use “cookies” or other tracking devices to identify visitors. You can also obtain directions to be able to attend the meeting and vote in person at that website.

If You Have Any Questions

If you have any questions, or need assistance in voting your shares, please contact The Proxy Advisory Group, LLC, 18 East 41^st Street, 20^th Floor, New York, New York 10017, or by telephone at                         .

Your Board of Directors

At our 2012 annual meeting of stockholders, our stockholders approved a proposal to declassify your Board. As a result, beginning with the Annual Meeting, directors elected at the annual meeting of stockholders will serve for terms expiring at the next annual meeting of stockholders. In accordance with Delaware law, the declassification of your Board did not shorten the term of any of the directors that were elected at or before the 2012 annual meeting of stockholders. Accordingly, your Board currently consists of ten members who are divided into three classes, as follows: directors whose terms expire at the 2013 Annual Meeting (Eli Y. Adashi, M.D., Robert P. Khederian, David Scott, Ph.D. and Peter Townsend), directors whose terms expire at our 2014 annual meeting of stockholders (John F. Levy, Jerry McAleer, Ph.D. and John A. Quelch, D.B.A.) and directors whose terms expire at our 2015 annual meeting of stockholders (Carol R. Goldberg, James Roosevelt, Jr. and Ron Zwanziger).

Your Board has determined that the following directors are independent under the rules of the New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE: Dr. Adashi, Ms. Goldberg, Mr. Khederian, Mr. Levy, Dr. Quelch, Mr. Roosevelt and Mr. Townsend. In addition, your Board has determined that, if elected, each of Dr. Björklund, Mr. MacMillan, Mr. Markison and Dr. McKillop will also be independent under the rules of the NYSE.

Your Board held eleven meetings during 2012. We have no formal policy regarding Board members’ attendance at the annual meetings of stockholders. Last year, seven members of your Board attended our annual meeting of stockholders. Further, during 2012, all Board members attended at least 75% of the eleven meetings held, and each Board member attended at least 75% of the meetings of each committee on which he or she served.

Your Board has an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee and a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, each composed solely of directors who satisfy the applicable independence requirements of the NYSE’s listing standards for such committees. All three committees operate pursuant to written charters, which are posted in the Corporate Governance

section of the Investor Relations page on our website at www.alere.com. The key practices and procedures of your Board are outlined in the Corporate Governance Guidelines, which are also available on the Corporate Governance section of our website under Governance Committee Documents.

The Audit Committee

The Audit Committee consists of Mr. Levy, its Chairperson, Mr. Khederian and Mr. Townsend. Among other things, the Audit Committee oversees our accounting and financial reporting processes, including the selection, retention and oversight of our independent registered public accounting firm and the pre-approval of all auditing and non-auditing services provided by our independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee’s 2012 Audit Committee Report is included in this proxy statement beginning on page 54. Your Board has determined that Mr. Levy is an “audit committee financial expert,” as defined by SEC rules adopted pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Audit Committee held nine meetings during 2012.

The Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee consists of Ms. Goldberg, its Chairperson, Dr. Adashi and Mr. Khederian. The Compensation Committee develops and implements executive officer and director compensation policies and plans that provide incentives intended to promote our long-term strategic plans and that are consistent with our culture and the overall goal of enhancing enduring stockholder value. Under its charter, the Compensation Committee may delegate any or all of its responsibilities to a subcommittee, but to date it has not chosen to do so. During 2012, the Compensation Committee held twelve meetings. The Compensation Discussion and Analysis recommended by the Compensation Committee to be included in this proxy statement begins on page 38. Among other things, the Compensation Discussion and Analysis describes in greater detail the Compensation Committee’s role in the executive compensation process. In addition, the Compensation Committee’s role in establishing director compensation is described in more detail under “Compensation of Directors” beginning on page 51 of this proxy statement.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee consists of Dr. Quelch, its Chairperson, Mr. Levy and Mr. Roosevelt. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is charged with recommending nominees for election to your Board, overseeing the selection and composition of committees of your Board, developing and recommending corporate governance principles and overseeing our continuity planning process. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee conducts inquiries into the backgrounds and qualifications of possible director candidates and has the authority to retain any search firm or other advisors to assist in identifying candidates to serve as directors. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has established certain membership criteria for your Board. The Board membership criteria can be viewed under the heading Governance Committee Documents in the Corporate Governance section of the Investor Relations page of our website at www.alere.com. Pursuant to the committee’s charter, in identifying and evaluating director candidates, including candidates proposed or recommended by stockholders, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee takes into account all factors it considers appropriate, which may include strength of character, mature judgment, career specialization, relevant technical skills, diversity and the extent to which the candidate would fill a present need on your Board. While your Company does not have a formal diversity policy for Board membership, your Board seeks directors who represent a mix of backgrounds and experiences that will enhance the quality of the Board’s discussions and decisions. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers diversity with respect to viewpoints, accomplishments, skills, experiences and community involvement, among other factors such as gender, race, national origin and age, in its evaluation of candidates for Board membership. Such diversity considerations are discussed by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee in connection with the general qualifications of each potential nominee. In considering candidates for your Board, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers the entirety of each candidate’s credentials in the context of these standards and whether the candidate would bring a unique perspective to the Board, which is consistent with the committee’s goal

of creating a board of directors that best serves our needs and the interests of our stockholders. During 2012, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee held one meeting.

Executive Sessions

Our non-management directors meet at regularly scheduled executive sessions without management participation, generally in connection with regularly scheduled Board meetings. At each such session, the non-management directors select a director to preside over such session.

Board Leadership Structure and Role in Risk Oversight

Your Board has determined that a board leadership structure featuring a single leader as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, or CEO, best serves our interests and those of our stockholders. The combined role promotes consistent and unified leadership, timely decision-making, strategy development and execution and effective management of company resources. The combined role also facilitates information flow between management and your Board. Combining the roles of Chairman and CEO makes clear that the individual serving in these roles has primary responsibility for managing our business, under the oversight and review of your Board. The CEO is the individual with primary responsibility for implementing our strategy, directing the work of other executive officers and leading implementation of our strategic plans as approved by your Board. This structure results in a single leader being directly accountable to your Board and, through the Board, to stockholders, and enables the CEO to act as the key link between the Board and other members of management.

We do not have a lead independent director, but our non-management directors regularly meet in executive session without management present, generally in connection with regularly scheduled meetings of your Board. Prior to each meeting in executive session, a presiding director is selected by the non-management directors. All of the directors on each of the Audit Committee, the Compensation

Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are independent directors.

Management is responsible for the day-to-day management of the risks that we face, while your Board, as a whole and through its committees, has responsibility for the oversight of risk management. In its risk oversight role, the Board is responsible for satisfying itself that our risk management processes are adequate and functioning as designed. Your Board’s involvement in risk oversight includes receiving regular reports from members of senior management and evaluating areas of material risk, including operational, financial, legal, regulatory, strategic and reputational risks. In addition, your Board has delegated risk oversight to each of its key committees within their areas of responsibility. The Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee each report at the next meeting of your Board all significant items discussed at each committee meeting, which includes a discussion of any items relating to risk oversight. The Compensation Committee assists your Board in its risk oversight function by overseeing strategies related to our incentive compensation programs and key employee retention. The Audit Committee assists your Board in its risk oversight function by reviewing our system of disclosure controls and procedures and our internal control over financial reporting. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee assists your Board in its risk oversight function by managing risks associated with director candidate selection, governance and succession matters.

Communications with Your Board

Stockholders and interested parties wishing to communicate with your Board or any director or group of directors (including only the non-management directors) should direct their communications to: Secretary, Alere Inc., 51 Sawyer Road, Suite 200, Waltham, MA 02453. Stockholder communications must state the number of shares of our stock beneficially owned by the stockholder sending the communication. The Secretary will forward the stockholder or interested-party communication to your Board or to any individual director or directors to whom the communication is directed; provided, however, that if the communication is unduly hostile, profane, threatening, illegal or otherwise inappropriate, the Secretary has the authority to discard the communication and take any appropriate legal action.

Code of Ethics

Your Board has adopted a code of ethics that applies to all of our employees and agents worldwide, including our chief executive officer, our chief financial officer, our principal accounting officer or controller, other executive officers and the members of the Board. Our code of ethics is posted in its entirety in the Corporate Governance section of the Investor Relations page of our website at www.alere.com. We intend to make required disclosures of amendments to our code of ethics, or waivers of a provision of our code of ethics, on the Corporate Governance page of our website.

We are recommending four experienced, new nominees for election at the 2013 Annual Meeting, each of whom has been recommended by our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and approved by your Board. None of the nominees has previously served on your Board or held any other role with your Company.

In 2012, we amended our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to phase in the declassification of your Board and provide that, beginning with the 2013 Annual Meeting, directors elected at the annual meeting of stockholders will serve for terms expiring at the next annual meeting of stockholders, rather than at the third annual meeting of stockholders after election. Your Board of Directors is currently comprised of ten members. At the 2013 Annual Meeting, the term of four directors will expire. Directors elected at the 2013 Annual Meeting will hold office until the next annual meeting of stockholders and will continue in office until their successors are duly elected and qualified or until their earlier death, resignation, disqualification or removal. Each person nominated below has consented to being named in this proxy statement and has agreed to serve if elected.

Each of our four nominees has professional experience in areas relevant to our strategy and operations and offers leadership and diverse perspective at a critical time for your Company. We believe our nominees also possess other attributes necessary to contribute to an effective Board: integrity, honesty and adherence to high ethical standards; business acumen; sound and independent judgment; ability to devote significant time to serve on your Board of Directors and its committees and to work in a collaborative manner with other Board members; and an unwavering commitment to representing the long-term interests of all of our stockholders.

YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE FOR EACH OF THE BOARD’S FOUR NOMINEES FOR DIRECTOR ON THE ENCLOSED WHITE PROXY CARD OR VOTING INSTRUCTION FORM.

Coppersmith Value Partners LLC and the other members of its group, which we refer to collectively as Coppersmith, have publicly announced that they

intend to nominate three director nominees for election at the 2013 Annual Meeting. If Coppersmith does in fact nominate candidates for election to your Board, the number of nominees for election as directors at the 2013 Annual Meeting will exceed the number of directors to be elected at the 2013 Annual Meeting. The four nominees receiving the greatest number of votes cast for their election at the 2013 Annual Meeting will be elected as directors.

If you should receive any proxy materials or other communications from Coppersmith, your Board urges that you completely disregard those materials and take no action of any kind with respect to them. We are not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of any information provided by or relating to Coppersmith or its nominees contained in solicitation materials filed or disseminated by, or on behalf of, Coppersmith or any other statements Coppersmith may make. Additional information about interactions between representatives of the Company and Coppersmith can be found below under “— Background to Contested Proxy Solicitation” beginning on page 12 of this proxy statement.

We urge you to elect the directors recommended by your Board by completing the enclosed WHITE proxy card.

Here Are Your Company’s Director Nominees:

Håkan Björklund has been a healthcare industry executive at Avista Capital Partners, L.P., a private equity firm, since October 2011. Before joining Avista Capital Partners, Dr. Björklund was the Chief Executive Officer of Nycomed Luxco SA, a Swiss pharmaceuticals company, from May 1999 until its sale to Takeda Pharmaceuticals in September 2011. Before his tenure at Nycomed, Dr. Björklund held various positions at companies that now form a part of the pharmaceuticals company AstraZeneca plc, including President of Astra Pain Control from 1989 to 1991, President of Astra Draco, a research and development unit, from

1991 to 1996 and Regional Director of Astra AB from 1996 to 1999. Dr. Björklund has served as a member of the board of directors of Coloplast A/S, a Denmark-based medical device company, since December 2006, as the Chairman of the Board of H. Lundbeck A/S, a Denmark-based pharmaceuticals company, since March 2013, where he has served as a director since March 2011, and as a member of the board of directors of Atos Medical AB, a Swedish medical device company, since April 2005. He was also a director at Danisco A/S, a Danish food ingredients company, from April 2004 until its acquisition by Dupont in June 2011. Dr. Björklund is 57 years old and holds a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Karolinska Institute in Sweden. The Directors nominated Dr. Björklund because they believe his operating experience as Chief Executive Officer of a European based healthcare company with global operations will be of substantial value to the Board.

Stephen P. MacMillan is the Chief Executive Officer of sBioMed, LLC, a biomedical research firm that produces infection control products, a position he has held since October 2012. Prior to joining sBioMed, Mr. MacMillan served in various roles at Stryker Corporation, including as its Chief Operating Officer from June 2003 to January 2005, its President from June 2003 to February 2012, its Chief Executive Officer from January 2005 to February 2012 and its Chairman from January 2010 to February 2012. Mr. MacMillan began his career with Procter & Gamble in 1985 and later spent 11 years with Johnson & Johnson, where he served in various roles, including President of Johnson & Johnson’s consumer pharmaceuticals joint venture with Merck from December 1998 to December 1999. From March 2000 to March 2003, Mr. MacMillan served as Sector Vice President, Global Specialty Operations of Pharmacia Corporation (formerly Monsanto Company), a global pharmaceutical company. Mr. MacMillan previously served on the board of directors of Texas Instruments Incorporated from 2008 to 2012. Mr. MacMillan is 49 years old and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Davidson College and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program. The Directors nominated Mr. MacMillan because they believe his operating experience as Chief Executive Officer in the growth and development of a global medical technology company will be of substantial value to the Board.

Brian A. Markison has been a healthcare industry executive at Avista Capital Partners, L.P., a

private equity firm, since September 2012. Before joining Avista Capital Partners, Mr. Markison served as the President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors of Fougera Pharmaceuticals Inc., a specialty dermatology company, from July 2011 until its sale to Sandoz, a division of the Novartis group, in July 2012. Prior to that, Mr. Markison was the President and Chief Executive Officer of King Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a manufacturer of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, from July 2004 through the closing of its sale to Pfizer in March 2011. Mr. Markison joined King Pharmaceuticals as Chief Operating Officer in March 2004 and served in that role until his promotion to Chief Executive Officer. From July 2007 to February 2011, Mr. Markison also served as the Chairman of the board of directors of King Pharmaceuticals. Before joining King Pharmaceuticals, Mr. Markison held various positions at Bristol-Myers Squibb from 1982 to 2004, including President of Neuroscience/Infectious Disease and Dermatology and President of Oncology, Virology and Oncology Therapeutics Network. Mr. Markison has served as the Lead Outside Director on the board of directors of Immunomedics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical therapeutics company, since December 2004, the Chairman of the board of directors of Rosetta Genomics Ltd., a leading developer of microRNA-based molecular diagnostics, since April 2011, the Chairman of the board of directors of Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc., a developer, manufacturer and distributor of diagnostic imaging agents, since January 2013, where he has served as a director since September 2012, and a member of the board of directors of PharmAthene, Inc., a developer of medical countermeasures against biological and chemical threats, since September 2011. He also serves on the boards of directors of the Komen Foundation for South/Central New Jersey, the College of New Jersey and the Pennington School. Mr. Markison is 53 years old and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Iona College. The Directors nominated Mr. Markison because they believe his long tenure and experience as an operating executive in the healthcare industry, including as Chief Executive Officer of King Pharmaceuticals, which completed several acquisitions before being sold to Pfizer in 2011, will be of substantial value to the Board.

Sir Thomas Fulton Wilson McKillop has been the Chairman of Evolva Holdings SA, a biosynthetic technologies company listed on the Swiss Stock Exchange that produces sustainable ingredients for health nutrition and wellness, since May 2012,

having served as a non-executive director since June 2010. In 1994, Dr. McKillop was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of Zeneca plc, which was formed as a result of the separation by Imperial Chemical Industries, or ICI, of its pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and specialties businesses. In April 1999, following the merger of Zeneca plc and Astra AB, Dr. McKillop was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of AstraZeneca plc, a position he held until his retirement in 2005. Since that time, Dr. McKillop has served as the Chairman of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group from April 2006 through February 2009, the President of the Science Council in the United Kingdom from February 2007 through September 2011, and a non-executive director of BP plc, from 2007 to 2009, Lloyds TSB Group plc, from 1999 to 2004, and Nycomed Amersham plc and its predecessor companies, from 1992 to 2001. Dr. McKillop is also currently a non-executive director of UCB SA, a Euronext-listed biopharmaceuticals manufacturer; Almirall, S.A., a pharmaceuticals company listed on the Madrid, Barcelona, Bilboa and Valencia stock exchanges; and Theravectys, a development-stage biotechnology company headquartered in France. In addition, Dr. McKillop has held varying roles in industry groups, including tenures as the Chairman of the British Pharma Group, President of the European Federation of Pharmaceuticals Industries and Associations, Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Industry Task Force and as a member of the European Round Table of Industrialists and the European Financial Services Round Table. Dr. McKillop is 70 years old, holds a B.Sc. and Ph.D. in chemistry from Glasgow University and in 2002 was knighted in recognition of his services to the pharmaceuticals industry. Dr. McKillop is a Fellow of the Royal Society of London, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and a Fellow of the United Kingdom Academy of Medical Sciences. The Directors nominated Dr. McKillop because they believe his operating experience as Chief Executive Officer of Zeneca plc and later during its merger with Astra AB, as well as his leadership of AstraZeneca AB, a global pharmaceutical company, with a particular emphasis on European and emerging markets, will be of substantial value to the Board.

During most of 2012, our senior management team, reporting to the chairman and other members of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and the other members of our Board, actively sought to identify candidates for nomination to our Board suited to guiding us through the next phase of our business strategy and growth. In January 2013, we engaged a professional search firm to assist in this process. The members of the Committee believed that the Board could benefit from the views and experience of one or more individuals with experience as a chief executive officer of a global and acquisitive healthcare company, with emphasis on experience in successfully integrating acquired entities and on international operational experience. As the search progressed, the Committee was pleased to identify as possible candidates, among others, the four individuals who eventually became the Board’s nominees. In weighing the nomination of these individuals against the re-nomination of our incumbent directors whose terms expire at the Annual Meeting, the Committee concluded that the outstanding qualifications of these four individuals, coupled with their industry and operational expertise, would directly enhance the Board’s ability to lead Alere through its next phase of development, and the Committee further concluded that these anticipated benefits outweighed the incumbent directors’ experience and institutional knowledge of the Company. Accordingly, the Committee concluded that the interests of our stockholders would best be served by the nomination of all four of the newly identified candidates.

Dr. McKillop and Dr. Björklund were among the candidates recommended to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee in early 2013 by our professional search firm. Dr. Björklund was subsequently recommended to the Nominating and Corporate Governance by Jefferies LLC, an investment bank with whom the Company has a long relationship, as was Mr. Markison. Mr. MacMillan was recommended to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee by Namal Nawana, our Chief Operating Officer, and separately by Covington Associates, an investment bank with whom the Company has a long relationship.

Vote Required

Director nominees must be elected by a plurality of the votes properly cast at the Annual Meeting. This means that the four nominees receiving the highest number of FOR votes will be elected as directors. Votes may be cast FOR or WITHHELD

FROM each nominee. Votes that are WITHHELD FROM the nominees will be excluded entirely from the vote and will have no effect on the election of directors.

Furthermore, if you are a holder of record and you fail to vote your shares, either in person or by proxy, the votes represented by your shares will be excluded entirely from the vote and will have no effect. If you hold your shares through a broker, bank or other nominee (i.e., in “street name”) and you do not instruct your broker or other nominee how to vote your shares with respect to the election of directors, any broker or nominee subject to the NYSE rules will be prohibited by those rules from voting your shares in the election of directors. Instead, the votes represented by your shares will be counted as “broker non-votes,” will be excluded entirely from the vote, and will have no effect on the election of directors.

Recommendation

Your Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote FOR each of the board’s four new nominees for director named above on the enclosed WHITE proxy card or voting instruction form.

Background to Contested Proxy Solicitation

On November 8, 2012, a representative of Coppersmith contacted us and asked to meet with Ron Zwanziger, our President and Chief Executive Officer. Coppersmith indicated at that time that it was a new investor with “a small position” in our stock but was considering making a larger investment. That same day, consistent with our usual practices for responding to inquiries from potential new investors, we suggested that Coppersmith first speak with Jon Russell, our Vice President, Finance. Mr. Russell held conference calls with representatives of Coppersmith on November 16, 2012 and again on November 20, 2012, in which they discussed our fundamentals and strategy.

On Friday, November 30, 2012, Coppersmith requested a meeting with Mr. Zwanziger, and on December 6, 2012, we offered to have Mr. Zwanziger meet with Coppersmith at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference to be held January 7-9, 2013. Coppersmith declined our invitation. We then suggested, instead, that the representatives of Coppersmith meet with Mr. Russell in person so that they could become more familiar with our business before meeting with Mr. Zwanziger. In January 2013,

we offered to have Mr. Russell meet with Coppersmith at our offices on February 12, 2013. Coppersmith also declined this invitation. The parties discussed potential meetings in March, but due to scheduling conflicts, Mr. Russell and the representatives of Coppersmith were unable to arrange a meeting. Mr. Russell did, however, meet with a representative of Scopia Capital Management, a member of the Coppersmith group, at a conference in New York, New York on March 6, 2013, to discuss our business.

On March 8, 2013, Mr. Russell and representatives of Coppersmith had a further conference call, where they discussed our business, our recent financial results and our strategy. On March 14, 2013, Mr. Russell had another conference call with a representative of Scopia Capital Management to discuss similar matters. Also on March 14, 2013, we invited Coppersmith to our headquarters to meet with Messrs. Zwanziger and Teitel.

On April 1, 2013, Messrs. Zwanziger and Teitel met with representatives of Coppersmith and Scopia Capital Management at our headquarters in Waltham, Massachusetts. Mr. Russell participated in the discussion by conference call. During the meeting, the parties discussed our business generally. Towards the end of this meeting, the representatives of Coppersmith mentioned that they had concerns about our strategy. We asked them to elaborate but they declined to do so. On April 4, 2013, Mr. Russell offered to continue the discussion, particularly around our health information solution strategy, and the parties arranged for a call on April 11, 2013.

On April 11, 2013, Messrs. Zwanziger, Teitel and Russell had a conference call with the representatives of Coppersmith and Scopia Capital Management. On this call, Coppersmith stated its intention to nominate candidates for election to the Board at the Annual Meeting. On Friday, April 12, 2013, a company named Coppersmith Value Partners LLC delivered a notice to us that it intended to nominate three individuals, including an employee of Coppersmith, for election as directors at the Annual Meeting. In the notice, Coppersmith described concerns about our strategy. Our General Counsel, Ellen Chiniara, acknowledged receipt of the notice by letter dated April 17, 2013.

At our initiative, Messrs. Zwanziger and Teitel met with representatives of Coppersmith and Scopia Capital Management at Coppersmith’s offices in New York, New York on April 30, 2013. Mr. Russell participated in the discussion by conference call. During the meeting, Coppersmith repeated its position, as set forth in its written notice, that we should follow its recommendations for our business, and the parties discussed our director search and the relative qualifications of the nominees proposed by Coppersmith Value Partners LLC.

On May 3, 2013, Ms. Chiniara, acting on behalf of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, advised Coppersmith by letter that our executive search firm was conducting interviews of possible candidates for nomination as directors and sought to arrange for the executive search firm to meet with Coppersmith Value Partners’ proposed nominees. Our executive search firm then tried unsuccessfully to reach Coppersmith by phone and e-mail to arrange a time to speak.

On May 8, 2013, Coppersmith and certain other members of its group filed a Schedule 13D disclosing that, as of March 20, 2013, they beneficially owned only 300 shares of our stock in the aggregate and that, through a rapid accumulation of shares between March 20 and May 8, 2013, they had acquired beneficial ownership of 5.8% of our common stock. Also on that date, Coppersmith issued a public letter to Mr. Zwanziger stating that it intended to solicit proxies in support of the election of Coppersmith Value Partners’ proposed nominees and repeating its previously announced positions.

On May 9, 2013, a representative of our search firm sent an additional letter to Coppersmith seeking to arrange appropriate interviews with its nominees. On May 10, 2013, Coppersmith sent a letter to Ms. Chiniara rejecting our invitation, indicating that the Coppersmith nominees would be made available for interviews only after the parties reached a settlement for the full resolution of its concerns, including the addition of its nominees to the Board, if qualified.

On June 4, 2013, Messrs. Zwanziger and Teitel reached out to Coppersmith and offered to disclose the identities of our Board’s director nominees on a confidential basis. Mr. Zwanziger expressed his hope that, upon reviewing the exceptional qualifications of our Board’s nominees, Coppersmith would agree that its concerns regarding the composition of our Board would be addressed and would then refrain from pursuing a proxy contest.

On June 5, 2013, the parties entered into a non-disclosure agreement, and we disclosed to Coppersmith the names and backgrounds of our Board’s four non-incumbent, independent director nominees. On June 6, 2013, Messrs. Zwanziger and Teitel had a conference call with a representative of Coppersmith, who indicated that Coppersmith would not withdraw its nominees.

On June 7, 2013, we filed our preliminary proxy statement containing our Board’s recommendation that our stockholders elect Dr. Björklund, Mr. MacMillan, Mr. Markison and Dr. McKillop as directors at the Annual Meeting.

Introduction

Your Board has adopted and is seeking stockholder approval of an amendment to the 2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan to increase the number of shares of common stock that are available to be issued under the plan from 5,153,663 shares to 7,153,663 shares (subject to adjustment for stock splits, stock dividends and similar events). Of the 5,153,663 shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the 2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan, only 594,983 shares remained available for future grants or awards as of June 3, 2013. While some additional shares may become available under the 2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan through employee terminations, this number is not expected to be significant.

Your Board recommends this action in order to enable us to continue to provide equity compensation to attract and retain talented personnel. Your Board believes that stock options and other forms of equity compensation promote growth and provide a meaningful incentive to employees of successful companies.

As of June 3, 2013 there were 81,337,521 shares of our common stock outstanding. The increase of 2,000,000 shares of common stock available for grant under the 2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan will result in additional potential dilution of our outstanding stock. Based solely on the closing price of our common stock on June 3, 2013 of $25.62 per share, the aggregate market value of the additional 2,000,000 shares of common stock to be reserved for issuance under the 2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan would be $51,240,000.

The following is a summary of the material terms of the 2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan. The summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the complete text of the 2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan. Stockholders are urged to read the actual text of the 2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan, as proposed to be amended, which is set forth as Appendix B to this proxy statement, in its entirety.

Summary of the 2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan, as Amended

Administration.    The 2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan, or the 2010 Plan, provides for administration by your Board or by a committee of not fewer than two independent directors, referred to as the “administrator,” provided that, for purposes of awards to directors and officers who are subject to the requirements of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the administrator shall be deemed to include only directors who are independent directors and for purposes of performance-based awards, the administrator shall be a committee of your Board composed of two or more outside directors, as appointed by the Board from time to time. Your Board of Directors serves as the primary administrator of the 2010 Plan.

The administrator has full power to select, from among the individuals eligible for awards, the individuals to whom awards will be granted, to make any combination of awards to participants, and to determine the specific terms and conditions of each award, subject to the provisions of the 2010 Plan. The administrator may permit common stock, and other amounts payable pursuant to an award, to be deferred. In such instances, the administrator may permit interest, dividends or deemed dividends to be credited to the amount of deferrals.

Eligibility and Limitations on Grants.    All of our officers, employees, directors, consultants and other key persons (including prospective employees) are eligible to participate in the 2010 Plan, subject to the discretion of the administrator. As of April 30, 2013, we had approximately 13,300 employees, excluding temporary and contract employees, and seven non-employee directors. The number of consultants and other key persons eligible to participate in the 2010 Plan varies from time to time. In no event may any one participant receive options or stock appreciation rights with respect to more than 1,000,000 shares of common stock, subject to adjustment for stock splits, stock dividends and similar events, during any one calendar year. The 2010 Plan provides that different types of awards will

count differently against the total number of shares available. Each share subject to a full value award settled in stock, other than an award that is a stock option or other award that requires the grantee to purchase shares for an amount not less than their fair market value at the time of grant, is counted against the overall share limitation as three shares. Each share subject to all other awards are counted against the overall share limitation as one share.

Stock Options.    Options granted under the 2010 Plan may be either incentive stock options, referred to as “incentive options,” within the definition of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code, or non-qualified stock options, referred to as “non-qualified options.” Options granted under the 2010 Plan will be non-qualified options if they fail to meet the Internal Revenue Code definition of incentive options, are granted to a person not eligible to receive incentive options under the Internal Revenue Code, or otherwise so provide. Incentive options may be granted only to our officers or other employees or those of our subsidiaries. Non-qualified options may be granted to persons eligible to receive incentive options and to non-employee directors, consultants and other key persons.

Other Option Terms.    The administrator has the authority to determine the terms of options granted under the 2010 Plan. Options are granted with an exercise price that is not less than the fair market value of our common stock on the date of the option grant. In addition, the repricing of stock options granted under the 2010 Plan is not permitted without stockholder approval. The life of each option will be fixed by the administrator and may not exceed ten years from the date of grant. The administrator will determine at what time or times each option may be exercised and the period of time, if any, after retirement, death, disability or termination of employment during which options may be exercised. Options may be made exercisable in installments, and the exercisability of options may be accelerated by the administrator; provided that the administrator may not accelerate the exercisability of options or stock appreciation rights, other than by reason of, or in connection with, the death, disability or retirement of the optionee, the termination without cause of the optionee’s employment or a change of control of the Company, if the number of options and stock appreciation rights so accelerated when combined with the number of unrestricted stock awards granted would exceed 10% of the maximum number of shares issuable under the 2010 Plan. In general,

unless otherwise permitted by the administrator, no option granted under the 2010 Plan is transferable by the optionee other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, and options may be exercised during the optionee’s lifetime only by the optionee, or by the optionee’s legal representative or guardian in the case of the optionee’s incapacity.

Options granted under the 2010 Plan may be exercised for cash or by the transfer to us of shares of common stock which are not then subject to restrictions under the 2010 Plan or any other stock plan that we maintain, and which have a fair market value equivalent to the option exercise price of the shares being purchased. Such options may also be exercised by compliance with certain provisions pursuant to which a securities broker delivers the purchase price for the shares to us on behalf of the optionee. In addition, non-qualified options granted under the 2010 Plan may be exercised under a “net exercise” arrangement between the Company and the optionee pursuant to which the number of shares of common stock issued upon exercise of the option will be reduced by a number of shares with an aggregate fair market value equal to the aggregate exercise price of the option.

To qualify as incentive options, options must meet additional federal tax requirements, including a $100,000 limit on the value of shares subject to incentive options which first become exercisable in any one calendar year, and a shorter term and higher minimum exercise price in the case of certain large stockholders.

Stock Appreciation Rights.    The administrator may award stock appreciation rights to participants subject to such terms and conditions as the administrator may determine. The exercise price for a stock appreciation right shall not be less than the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant and the term of a stock appreciation right may not be longer than ten years. A stock appreciation right is an award entitling the recipient to receive shares of stock having a value on the date of exercise calculated as follows: (i) the grant date exercise price of one share of common stock is (ii) subtracted from the fair market value of one share of common stock on the date of exercise and (iii) the difference is multiplied by the number of shares of common stock with respect to which the stock appreciation right shall have been exercised.

Restricted Stock Awards.    The administrator may grant or sell shares of common stock to any

participant subject to such conditions and restrictions as the administrator may determine. The shares may be sold for a price determined by the administrator. These conditions and restrictions may include the achievement of pre-established performance goals and/or continued employment with us through a specified vesting period. The vesting period shall be determined by the administrator but shall be at least one year for attainment of pre-established performance goals or at least three years for other conditions and restrictions, including the participant’s continued employment with us. Restricted stock with a time-based restriction may become vested incrementally over such three-year period. If the applicable performance goals and other restrictions are not attained, or if the participant’s employment with us terminates for any reason, we will have the right to repurchase restricted stock that has not vested at its original purchase price (if any) from the participant or the participant’s legal representative.

Unrestricted Stock Awards.    The administrator may also grant shares of common stock which are free from any restrictions under the 2010 Plan. Unrestricted stock may be granted to any participant in recognition of past services or other valid consideration, and may be issued in lieu of cash compensation due to such participant. The aggregate number of unrestricted stock awards that may be granted under the plan, when combined with stock underlying options and stock appreciation rights that are accelerated other than by reason of, or in connection with, death, disability or retirement of the participant, the termination without cause of the participant’s employment or a change of control of the Company, may not exceed 10% of the maximum number of shares issuable under the plan.

Restricted Stock Units.    The administrator may also award phantom stock units to participants as restricted stock units. The restricted stock units are ultimately payable in the form of shares of common stock and may be subject to such conditions and restrictions as the administrator may determine. These conditions and restrictions may include the achievement of certain performance goals and/or continued employment with us through a specified vesting period. The vesting period shall be determined by the administrator but shall be at least one year for attainment of pre-established performance goals or at least three years for other conditions and restrictions, including the participant’s continued employment with us.

Restricted stock units with a time-based restriction may become vested incrementally over such three-year period. During the vesting period, subject to terms and conditions imposed by the administrator, the restricted stock units may be credited with dividend equivalent rights with respect to the phantom stock units underlying the restricted stock units. Subject to the consent of the administrator and in accordance with the requirements of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code, a participant may make an advance election to receive a portion of his cash compensation otherwise due in the form of restricted stock units. If the participant’s employment with the Company terminates for any reason, the participant’s right in all restricted stock units that have not vested shall automatically terminate.

Performance Share Awards.    The administrator may grant performance share awards to any participant which entitle the recipient to receive shares of common stock upon the achievement of individual or company performance goals and such other conditions as the administrator shall determine. The periods during which performance is to be measured shall not be, in the aggregate, less than one year.

Dividend Equivalent Rights.    The administrator may grant dividend equivalent rights, which entitle the recipient to receive credits for dividends that would be paid if the grantee held specified shares of common stock. Dividend equivalent rights may be settled either in cash or shares of common stock. Dividend equivalent rights may be granted as a component of another award or as a freestanding award.

Performance-Based Awards.    Grants of performance-based awards enable us to treat restricted stock awards, restricted stock units and performance share awards granted under the 2010 Plan to covered persons, as defined in Section 162(m) under the Internal Revenue Code, as “performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) and preserve the deductibility of these awards for federal income tax purposes. Participants are only entitled to receive payment for a performance-based award for any given performance period to the extent that pre-established performance goals set by the administrator for the period are satisfied. These pre-established performance goals may include: earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization; net income or loss (either before or after interest, taxes, depreciation

and/or amortization); changes in the market price of our common stock; cash flow; funds from operations or similar measure; sales or revenue; acquisitions or strategic transactions; operating income or loss; return on capital, assets, equity, or investment; total stockholder returns or total returns to stockholders; gross or net profit levels; productivity; expense; margins; operating efficiency; customer satisfaction; working capital; earnings per share of stock; or lease up performance, net operating income performance or yield on development or redevelopment communities—any of which may be measured either in absolute terms with or as compared to any incremental increase or as compared to results of a peer group. With regard to a particular performance period, the administrator will have the discretion to select the length of the performance period, the type of performance-based awards to be granted, and the goals that will be used to measure the performance for the period. In determining the actual size of an individual performance-based award for a performance period, the administrator may reduce or eliminate (but not increase) the award. Generally, a participant will have to be employed on the date the performance-based award is paid to be eligible for a performance-based award for that period. The maximum performance-based award payable to any employee under the plan for a performance cycle is 200,000 shares of our common stock, subject to adjustment for stock splits, stock dividends and similar events.

Section 409A Awards.    To the extent that any award granted under the 2010 Plan is determined to constitute “nonqualified deferred compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code, the administrator shall impose additional rules and requirements as may be necessary in order to comply with Section 409A. In this regard, if any amount under an award subject to Section 409A is payable upon a “separation from service” (within the meaning of Section 409A) to a participant who is then considered a “specified employee” (also within the meaning of Section 409A), then no such payment shall be made prior to the date that is the earlier of (i) six months and one day after the participant’s separation from service, or (ii) the participant’s death, but only to the extent such delay is necessary to prevent such payment from being subject to interest, penalties and/or additional tax imposed pursuant to Section 409A. The settlement of any Section 409A award may not be accelerated or postponed except to the extent permitted by Section 409A.

Change of Control Provisions.    The 2010 Plan provides that in the event of a “change of control” as defined in the 2010 Plan, all stock options will automatically become fully exercisable and the restrictions and conditions on all other awards will automatically be deemed waived, unless otherwise provided in the applicable award agreement.

Adjustments for Stock Dividends, Mergers, etc.    The 2010 Plan authorizes the administrator to make appropriate adjustments to the number of shares of common stock that are subject to the 2010 Plan and to any outstanding awards to reflect stock dividends, stock splits and similar events. In the event of certain transactions, such as a merger, consolidation, dissolution or liquidation of your Company, the 2010 Plan and all awards will terminate unless the parties to the transaction, in their discretion, provide for appropriate substitutions or adjustments of outstanding stock options or awards. Before any outstanding stock options or other awards terminate, the option holders will have an opportunity to exercise their outstanding options, and holders of other awards will receive a cash or in kind payment of such appropriate consideration as determined by the administrator in its sole discretion after taking into account the consideration payable per share of common stock pursuant to the business combination. The administrator may adjust the number of shares subject to outstanding awards and the exercise price and the terms of outstanding awards to take into consideration material changes in accounting practices or principles, extraordinary dividends, acquisitions or dispositions of stock or property or any other event if it is determined by the administrator that such adjustment is appropriate to avoid distortion in the operation of the 2010 Plan, provided that no such adjustment shall be made in the case of an incentive stock option, without the consent of the grantee, if it would constitute a modification, extension or renewal of the option within the meaning of Section 424(h) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Amendments and Termination.    Subject to requirements of law or the rules of any stock exchange, your Board may at any time amend or discontinue the 2010 Plan and the administrator may at any time amend or cancel any outstanding award for the purpose of satisfying changes in law or for any other lawful purpose, but no such action shall adversely affect the rights under any outstanding awards without the holder’s consent. To the extent required by the Internal Revenue Code to ensure that

options granted under the 2010 Plan qualify as incentive options or that compensation earned under the options granted under the 2010 Plan qualifies as performance-based compensation under the Internal Revenue Code, plan amendments shall be subject to approval by our stockholders.

Forfeiture of Awards under Sarbanes-Oxley Act.    If we are required to prepare an accounting restatement due to our material noncompliance, as a result of misconduct, with any financial reporting requirement under state or federal securities laws, then, to the extent required by law, any participant who is one of the individuals subject to automatic forfeiture under Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 shall reimburse us for the amount of any award received by that individual under the 2010 Plan during the 12-month period following the first public issuance or filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, of the financial document embodying such financial reporting requirement.

Material Federal Income Tax Consequences

The following discussion describes the material federal income tax consequences of transactions under the 2010 Plan. It does not describe all federal tax consequences under the 2010 Plan, nor does it describe state or local tax consequences.

Incentive Options.    No taxable income is generally realized by the optionee upon the grant or exercise of an incentive option. If shares of common stock issued to an optionee pursuant to the exercise of an incentive option are sold or transferred after two years from the date of grant and after one year from the date of exercise, then upon sale of such shares, any amount realized in excess of the option price will be taxed to the optionee as a long-term capital gain, and any loss sustained will be a long-term capital loss, and we will not have a deduction for federal corporate income tax purposes. The exercise of an incentive option will give rise to an item of tax preference that may result in alternative minimum tax liability for the optionee.

If shares of common stock acquired upon the exercise of an incentive option are disposed of prior to the expiration of the two-year and one-year holding periods described above, a “disqualifying disposition” occurs, and generally the optionee will realize ordinary income in the year of disposition in an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the shares of common stock at

exercise (or, if less, the amount realized on a sale of such shares of common stock) over the option price thereof, and we will be entitled to deduct such amount. Special rules apply where all or a portion of the exercise price of the incentive option is paid by tendering shares of common stock.

If an incentive option is exercised at a time when it no longer qualifies for the tax treatment described above, the option is treated as a non-qualified option. Generally, an incentive option will not be eligible for the tax treatment described above if it is exercised more than three months following termination of employment, or one year in the case of termination of employment by reason of disability. In the case of termination of employment by reason of death, the three-month rule does not apply.

Non-qualified Options.    With respect to non-qualified options under the 2010 Plan, no income is realized by the optionee at the time the option is granted. Generally,

Special rules apply where all or a portion of the exercise price of the non-qualified option is paid by tendering shares of common stock.

Stock Appreciation Rights.    The grantee of a stock appreciation right recognizes no income for federal income tax purposes on the grant thereof. On the exercise of a stock appreciation right, the grantee will recognize as ordinary income the difference between the fair market value of our common stock on the date of exercise and the exercise price of the stock appreciation right, multiplied by the number of shares of common stock subject to the stock appreciation right. If the grantee of a stock appreciation right does not exercise such right, the grantee will recognize as ordinary income the excess of the fair market value of our common stock on the last day of the term of the stock appreciation right over the exercise price of the stock appreciation right,

if any, multiplied by the number of shares of common stock subject to the stock appreciation right.

Restricted and Unrestricted Stock Awards.    A grantee of a restricted stock award recognizes no income for federal income tax purposes upon the receipt of common stock pursuant to that award, unless, as described below, the grantee otherwise elects. Instead, the grantee will recognize ordinary income in an amount equal to the fair market value of the common stock on the date that it is no longer subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture less the amount, if any, the grantee paid for such stock. Such fair market value becomes the basis for the underlying shares and will be used in computing any capital gain or loss upon the disposition of such shares (which will be long-term capital gain if the grantee holds the shares for more than one year after the date on which the shares are no longer subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture).

Alternatively, the grantee of a restricted stock award may elect, pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code, within 30 days of the acquisition of common stock pursuant to the restricted stock award, to include in gross income as ordinary income for the year in which the common stock is received, the fair market value of the common stock on the date it is received less the amount, if any, the grantee paid for such stock. Such fair market value will become the basis for the shares and will be used in determining any capital gain or loss upon the disposition of such shares (which will be long-term capital gain if the disposition is more than one year after the date the shares are received). Grantees of restricted stock awards are advised to consult their own tax advisors with regard to elections pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Upon receipt of common stock pursuant to an unrestricted stock award, the grantee will recognize as ordinary income the difference between the fair market value of the common stock less the amount, if any, the grantee paid for such stock. The grantee’s basis in such shares will be equal to the fair market value of the shares on the date of receipt, and this basis will be used in determining any capital gain or loss upon a subsequent disposition of the shares (which will be long-term capital gain if the disposition is more than one year after the date the shares are received).

Subject to certain limitations, we may deduct an amount equal to the amount recognized by the

grantee of a restricted or unrestricted stock award as ordinary income for the year in which such income is recognized.

Restricted Stock Units.    The grantee of a restricted stock unit recognizes no income for federal income tax purposes on the grant thereof. Upon the receipt of common stock pursuant to a restricted stock unit, the federal income tax laws applicable to restricted stock awards, described above, will apply if the stock is restricted stock, and the federal income tax laws applicable to unrestricted stock awards, described above, will apply if the stock is unrestricted common stock.

Subject to certain limitations, we may deduct an amount equal to the amount recognized by the grantee of a restricted stock unit as ordinary income for the year in which the restricted stock unit is exercised or lapses.

Performance Share Awards.    The federal income tax laws applicable to performance share awards are the same as those applicable to restricted stock awards, described above.

Dividend Equivalent Rights.    There generally will be no tax consequences as a result of the award of a dividend equivalent right. When payment is made, the holder of the dividend equivalent rights generally will recognize ordinary income, and we will be entitled to a deduction, equal to the amount received in respect of the dividend equivalent.

Parachute Payments.    The vesting or exercisability of any portion of any option or other award that is accelerated due to the occurrence of a change of control, or the grant of any option or other award within the one year period prior to a change in control, may cause all or a portion of the payments with respect to such accelerated awards to be treated as “parachute payments” as defined in Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code. Any such parachute payments may be non-deductible to us, in whole or in part, and may subject the recipient to a non-deductible 20% federal excise tax on all or a portion of such payment in addition to other taxes ordinarily payable.

Limitation on our Deductions.    As a result of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, our deduction for certain awards under the 2010 Plan may be limited to the extent that a covered employee receives compensation in excess of $1,000,000 in a calendar year, other than performance-based compensation that otherwise meets the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code.

New Plan Benefits

Because the granting of awards under the 2010 Plan is discretionary, we cannot now determine the number or type of awards to be granted in the future to any particular person or group if the amendment to the 2010 Plan is approved, except for our proposal to grant options to purchase an aggregate of 815,000 shares of our common stock to our key executives under the 2010 Plan, as described in more detail under the heading “Proposal 3 – Approval of the Grant of Options Under Our 2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan to Our Key Executive Officers” beginning on page 21 of this proxy statement.

Vote Required

Under our bylaws, the approval of the proposal to amend the 2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan to increase the number of shares of common stock available for issuance thereunder requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes properly cast FOR and AGAINST the proposal. In order to satisfy the rules of the NYSE, however, the total votes cast on the proposal must represent over 50% in interest of all securities entitled to vote on the proposal, a requirement that we refer to as the NYSE

Voting Requirement. Under the rules of the NYSE, abstentions will count as votes cast with respect to this matter; accordingly, abstentions will be included in determining whether the NYSE Voting Requirement has been achieved, but will have the same effect as votes AGAINST the proposal. Broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast on this matter; accordingly, broker non-votes will make it more difficult for the NYSE Voting Requirement to be achieved (as they will not be included), but if the NYSE Voting Requirement is achieved, they will have no effect on the outcome of the vote.

Recommendation

Your Board believes that the increase in the number of shares of common stock available for issuance under the Alere Inc. 2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan is in the best interest of our stockholders. Accordingly, your Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote FOR the approval of the increase in the number of shares of common stock available for issuance under the Alere Inc. 2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan, on the enclosed WHITE proxy card or voting instruction form.

Your Board is submitting for stockholder approval the grant of options to our key executives to purchase up to 815,000 shares of our common stock at an exercise price per share equal to the greater of $50.00 and the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant. We refer to these options as the Executive Options, and we refer to this proposal as the Executive Option Proposal.

On June 6, 2013, 2013 our Compensation Committee approved, under the Alere Inc. 2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan, or the 2010 Option Plan, subject to stockholder approval, the grant of the Executive Options to our key executives as set forth in the following table:

Even if this proposal is approved by our stockholders, we do not intend to implement it unless “Proposal 2 – Approval of an Increase in the Number of Shares of Common Stock Available for Issuance Under the 2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan” is approved.

The grant of the Executive Options is the second part of a two-year compensation program for our key executives. Last year, our Compensation Committee approved an identical grant to the key executives of 815,000 options having an exercise price of $50.00 per share, and the grant of those options was approved by our stockholders at our 2012 annual meeting of stockholders.

As was contemplated last year, our Compensation Committee reviewed the performance of the key executives and your Company generally and on June 6, 2013 approved the grant of the same numbers of options to the key executives, again subject to stockholder approval.

As discussed in our “Compensation Discussion & Analysis” beginning on page 38 of this proxy statement, the objective of our executive compensation program is to attract, retain and motivate talented and dedicated executives. In order to facilitate this goal, it is our practice to include, as a portion of our executives’ compensation packages, long-term equity incentive compensation. We did not grant any options to our key executives in 2012 other than the ones approved by stockholders, and if our stockholders approve the Executive Option Proposal, the Compensation Committee does not plan to grant any other options to the key executives in 2013. Additionally, if our stockholders approve the Executive Option Proposal, our Compensation Committee does not plan to grant any other options to the key executives in 2014. While stockholder approval of the grant of the Executive Options is not required under the terms of the 2010 Option Plan, your Board, upon the recommendation of our Compensation Committee, decided to submit the Executive Option Proposal to our stockholders for approval. If our stockholders do not approve the Executive Option Proposal, the Executive Options will not be granted to the key executives. In that case, however, the Compensation Committee will reconsider the overall compensation arrangements for our key executives and may provide them with other forms of incentive compensation, including equity-based awards.

The Executive Options will be non-qualified options granted under the 2010 Option Plan and will be subject to the terms and conditions of the 2010 Option Plan. If the Executive Option Proposal is approved, the effective date of grant of the Executive Options will be the date on which such approval is obtained. Twenty-five percent (25%) of the shares subject to each Executive Option will vest on each of the first four anniversaries of the effective date of grant of the Executive Option, subject to the recipient’s continued employment on the applicable vesting date. The exercise price per share of the common stock subject to the Executive Options will be the greater of $50.00 and the fair market value of our common stock on the effective date of grant. The closing price of our common stock on June 6, 2013 was $25.32 per share, and the average closing price of our common stock for the 60 and 90 trading days

preceding June 6, 2013 was $25.73 and $24.59 per share, respectively. Under the terms of the 2010 Option Plan, the Executive Options may not be repriced without stockholder approval. The Executive Options will expire on the tenth anniversary of the effective date of grant. In accordance with the terms of the 2010 Option Plan, in the event of a “change of control” (as defined in the 2010 Option Plan), the Executive Options will automatically become fully exercisable.

If a key executive’s employment with us is terminated, all vesting of the Executive Option held by that key executive shall cease as of the date of termination. If the key executive’s employment is terminated for any reason other than death, disability or “cause” (as that term is defined below), the Executive Option held by the key executive may be exercised, to the extent exercisable on the date of termination, for a period of three months from the date of termination or until the expiration date of the executive option, if earlier. If the administrator of the 2010 Option Plan determinates that the termination of the key executive’s employment is by reason of voluntary retirement after the age of 58, however, then to the extent exercisable on the date of termination, the Executive Option held by the key executive may be exercised for a period of twelve months from the date of termination or until the expiration date of the Executive Option, if earlier.

If a key executive’s employment is terminated by reason of death or disability, any Executive Option held by the key executive shall become fully exercisable and may thereafter be exercised by the key executive or, in the case of the key executive’s death, the key executive’s legal representative or legatee for a period of twelve months from the date of termination or until the expiration date of the Executive Option, if earlier. In the event of the death of the key executive during the twelve-month period following the termination of the key executive’s employment by reason of the key executive’s disability, the period during with the Executive Option may be exercised shall extend for twelve months from the date of death or until the expiration date of the Executive Option, if earlier.

If a key executive’s employment is terminated for cause, any Executive Option held by the key executive shall terminate immediately and be of no further force and effect. For purposes of the Executive Options, “cause” means: (i) any material breach by the key executive of any agreement

between the key executive and us or any of our subsidiaries; (ii) the conviction of or a plea of nolo contendere by the key executive to a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude; or (iii) any material misconduct or willful and deliberate non-performance (other than by reason of disability) by the key executive of the key executive’s duties to us or to any of our subsidiaries. If the administrator of the 2010 Option Plan discovers that a key executive’s employment could have been terminated for cause but such information was not known by us, the date of termination of employment will be deemed to be the date on which the act constituting cause took place. In the event that a key executive has exercised an Executive Option after he has committed an act constituting cause, the administrator of the 2010 Option Plan, may in its sole discretion and to the extent permitted by law or applicable regulations, take action to recover the shares of our stock issued upon such exercise and any gains made by the key executive in respect of those shares.

Unless otherwise permitted by the administrator of the 2010 Option Plan, the Executive Options will not be transferable by the key executive other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, and options may be exercised during the key executive’s lifetime only by the key executive, or by the key executive’s legal representative or guardian in the case of the key executive’s incapacity.

The Executive Options may be exercised for cash or by the transfer to us of shares of common stock which are not then subject to restrictions under the 2010 Option Plan or any other stock plan that we maintain, and which have a fair market value equivalent to the option exercise price of the shares being purchased. Such options may also be exercised by compliance with certain provisions pursuant to which a securities broker delivers the purchase price for the shares to us on behalf of the key executive. In addition, the Executive Options may be exercised under a “net exercise” arrangement between us and the key executive pursuant to which the number of shares of common stock issued upon exercise of the option will be reduced by a number of shares with an aggregate fair market value equal to the aggregate exercise price of the option.

Subject to requirements of law or the rules of any stock exchange, the administrator of the 2010 Option Plan may at any time amend or cancel any Executive Option for the purpose of satisfying changes in law or for any other lawful purpose, but

no such action shall adversely affect the rights of the holder under any Executive Option without the holder’s consent.

Based on prevailing prices of our common stock on June 6, 2013, the Compensation Committee anticipated that the exercise price of the Executive Options would be at a premium to the fair market value of our common stock on the effective dates of grant. Because the anticipated premium exercise price of the Executive Options of $50.00 per share means that the price of our common stock will have to increase by 97.5% over the closing price of our common stock on June 6, 2013 and 94.3% and 103.3% over the average closing price of our common stock for the 60 and 90 days preceding June 6, 2013 in order for these option grants to be “in the money,” your Board and Compensation Committee considers these grants to be stronger incentives for the generation and maintenance of long-term appreciation of our stock price than standard option grants and in the best interest of our stockholders.

Material Federal Income Tax Consequences

The following discussion describes the material federal income tax consequences of non-qualified stock option grants under the 2010 Option Plan. It does not describe all federal tax consequences under the 2010 Option Plan, nor does it describe state, local or foreign tax consequences of non-qualified options.

Non-Qualified Options.    With respect to non-qualified options under the 2010 Option Plan, no income is realized by the key executive at the time the option is granted. Generally,

Special rules apply where all or a portion of the exercise price of the non-qualified option is paid by tendering shares of common stock.

Parachute Payments.    The vesting of any portion of any Executive Option that is accelerated due to the occurrence of a change of control may cause a portion of the payments with respect to such accelerated options to be treated as “parachute payments” as defined in the Internal Revenue Code. Any such parachute payments may be non-deductible to us, in whole or in part, and may subject the recipient to a non-deductible 20% federal excise tax on all or a portion of such payment in addition to other taxes ordinarily payable.

Limitation on Our Deductions.    As a result of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, our deduction for certain awards under the 2010 Option Plan may be limited to the extent that a covered employee receives compensation in excess of $1,000,000 in such taxable year, other than performance-based compensation that otherwise meets the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code. We expect that the Executive Options will qualify as performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Vote Required

The approval of the Executive Option Proposal requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes properly cast FOR and AGAINST the proposal. In accordance with Delaware law and our bylaws, abstentions and broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast on this matter and, accordingly, will have no effect on the outcome of the vote.

Even if this proposal is approved by our stockholders, we do not intend to implement it unless “Proposal 2 – Approval of an Increase in the Number of Shares of Common Stock Available for Issuance Under the 2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan” is approved.

Recommendation

Your Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote FOR the executive option proposal, on the enclosed WHITE proxy card or voting instruction form.

Introduction

Your Board has adopted and is seeking stockholder approval of an amendment to our 2001 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, or the 2001 Plan, to increase the number of shares of common stock that are available to be issued under the plan from 3,000,000 shares to 4,000,000 shares (subject to adjustment for stock splits, stock dividends and similar events). Of the 3,000,000 shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the 2001 Plan, only 741,415 shares remained available for future issuance as of June 3, 2013.

Your Board recommends this action in order to enable us to continue to provide eligible employees the opportunity to purchase shares of our common stock at a discount through periodic payroll deductions. Your Board believes that the 2001 Plan enhances our ability to attract and retain highly qualified personnel and provides a meaningful incentive to employees by enabling them to participate in our long-term success and growth.

The increase of 1,000,000 shares of common stock available for issuance under the 2001 Plan will result in additional potential dilution of our outstanding stock. Based solely on the closing price of our common stock as reported on the NYSE on June 3, 2013 of $25.62 per share, the aggregate market value of the additional 1,000,000 shares of common stock to be reserved for issuance under the 2001 Plan would be $25,620,000.

The following is a summary of the material terms of the 2001 Plan. The summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the complete text of the 2001 Plan. Stockholders are urged to read the actual text of the 2001 Plan, as proposed to be amended, in its entirety, which is set forth as Appendix C to this proxy statement.

Summary of the 2001 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as Amended

Administration.    The 2001 Plan provides for administration by a person or persons appointed by your Board, whom we refer to as the administrator. The administrator has authority to make rules and regulations for the administration of the 2001 Plan, and its interpretations and decisions with regard

thereto shall be final and conclusive. The Compensation Committee serves as the administrator of the 2001 Plan.

Offerings.    To implement the benefits of the 2001 Plan, we make periodic offerings to eligible employees to purchase common stock under the 2001 Plan, or “Offerings”. Each Offering begins on the first business day occurring on or after each January 1 and July 1 and ends on the last business day occurring on or before the following June 30 and December 31, respectively. The administrator may, in its discretion, designate a different period for any Offering, provided that no Offering shall exceed one year in duration or overlap any other Offering.

Your Board may also commence a special Offering for employees of designated subsidiaries who are eligible to participate in the 2001 Plan that will begin on the date that an acquired company is acquired or becomes a designated subsidiary, and will end on the last business day occurring on or before the next June 30 or December 31, whichever shall occur first.

Eligibility.    All of our employees (including employees who are also directors) and all employees of each designated subsidiary are eligible to participate in any one or more of the Offerings under the 2001 Plan, provided that as of the first day of the applicable Offering, or the Offering Date, they are customarily employed by us or a designated subsidiary for more than 20 hours a week and have completed at least three consecutive calendar months of employment with us or any designated subsidiary (including periods of employment with the designated subsidiary which pre-date such designation and/or the acquisition of the designated subsidiary by us or any subsidiary). To the extent that a subsidiary was made a designated subsidiary after an acquisition pursuant to which a substantial amount of assets was acquired by such designated subsidiary, whether via a merger, asset acquisition or otherwise, employment with any legal predecessor entity or any entity transferring assets to the designated subsidiary as part of such acquisition shall be counted as employment with the designated subsidiary. We currently have approximately 10,400 employees, excluding temporary and contract employees.

Employee Contributions.    Each eligible employee may authorize payroll deductions at a minimum of two percent up to a maximum of ten percent of his or her compensation for each pay period. No interest will accrue or be paid on payroll deductions.

Grant of Options.    On each Offering Date, we will grant to each eligible employee who is then a participant in the 2001 Plan an option to purchase on the last day of such Offering, or the Exercise Date, at the Option Price, as defined below, (a) a number of shares of common stock, which number shall be the number of shares (rounded down to the nearest whole share) which is obtained by (i) multiplying $25,000 by the quotient obtained by dividing the number of months in the Offering by 12, and (ii) dividing that product by the fair market value of the common stock on the Offering Date, or (b) such other lesser maximum number of shares as shall have been established by the administrator in advance of the Offering; provided, however, that such option will be subject to the limitations described below. The purchase price for each share purchased under each Option, or the Option Price, will be 85% of the fair market value of the common stock on the Offering Date or the Exercise Date, whichever is less. Each employee’s option shall be exercisable only to the extent of such employee’s accumulated payroll deductions on the relevant Exercise Date.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, no employee may be granted an option under the 2001 Plan if such employee, immediately after the option grant, would be treated as owning stock possessing five percent or more of the total combined voting power or value of all or our classes of stock or of any parent or subsidiary, each as defined in the 2001 Plan. For purposes of the preceding sentence, the attribution rules of Section 424(d) of the Internal Revenue Code apply in determining the stock ownership of an employee, and all stock which the employee has a contractual right to purchase is treated as stock owned by the employee. In addition, no employee may be granted an option which permits his rights to purchase stock under the 2001 Plan, and any other employee stock purchase plan of us and our parents and subsidiaries, to accrue at a rate which exceeds $25,000 of the fair market value of such stock (determined on the option grant date or dates) for each calendar year in which the option is outstanding at any time. The purpose of the limitation in the preceding sentence is to comply with Section 423(b)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code and

will be applied taking options into account in the order in which they were granted.

Exercise of Option and Purchase of Shares.    Each employee who continues to be a participant in the 2001 Plan on the Exercise Date will be deemed to have exercised his or her option on such date and will acquire from us such number of whole shares of common stock reserved for the purpose of the 2001 Plan as his or her accumulated payroll deductions on such date will purchase at the Option Price, subject to any other limitations contained in the 2001 Plan. Any amount remaining in an employee’s account at the end of an Offering solely by reason of the inability to purchase a fractional share will be carried forward to the next Offering; any other balance remaining in an employee’s account at the end of an Offering will be refunded to the employee promptly.

Amendments and Termination.    Your Board may amend the 2001 Plan at any time, but any amendment that would increase the number of shares of common stock available for issuance under the plan or that would, without stockholder approval, cause the plan to fail to qualify as an “employee stock purchase plan” under Section 423(b) of the Internal Revenue Code will require stockholder approval within twelve months of the amendment. The 2001 Plan may be terminated at any time by your Board. Upon termination of the 2001 Plan, all amounts in the accounts of participating employees will be promptly refunded.

Material Federal Income Tax Consequences

The following discussion describes the material federal income tax consequences of transactions under the 2001 Plan. It does not describe all federal tax consequences under the 2001 Plan, nor does it describe state or local tax consequences.

A participant in the 2001 Plan recognizes no taxable income either as a result of participation in the plan or upon exercise of an option to purchase shares of our common stock under the terms of the plan.

If an employee acquires shares of common stock pursuant to the 2001 Plan and does not dispose of them within two years after the commencement of the Offering pursuant to which the shares were acquired, nor within one year after the date on which the shares were acquired, any gain realized upon subsequent disposition will be taxable as a long-term

capital gain, except that the portion of such gain equal to the lesser of (a) the excess of the fair market value of the shares on the date of disposition over the amount paid upon purchase of the shares, or (b) the excess of the fair market value of the shares on the commencement date of the applicable Offering over the amount paid upon purchase of the shares, is taxable as ordinary income. There is no corresponding deduction for us, however. If the employee disposes of the shares at a price less than the price at which he or she acquired the shares, the employee realizes no ordinary income and has a long-term capital loss measured by the difference between the purchase price and the selling price.

If an employee disposes of shares acquired pursuant to the 2001 Plan within two years after the commencement date of the Offering pursuant to which the shares were acquired, or within one year after the date on which the shares were acquired, the difference between the purchase price and the fair market value of the shares at the time of purchase will be taxable to him or her as ordinary income in the year of disposition. In this event, we may deduct from our gross income an amount equal to the amount treated as ordinary income to each such employee. Any excess of the selling price over the fair market value at the time the employee purchased the shares will be taxable as long-term or short-term capital gain, depending upon the period for which the shares were held. If any shares are disposed of within either the two-year or one-year period at a price less than the fair market value at the time of purchase, the same amount of ordinary income (i.e., the difference between the purchase price and the fair market value of the shares at the time of purchase) is realized, and a capital loss is recognized equal to the difference between the fair market value of the shares at the time of purchase and the selling price.

If a participating employee should die while owning shares acquired under the 2001 Plan, ordinary income may be reportable on his or her final income tax return.

New Plan Benefits

The number of shares that may be issued to executive officers and all employees, including non-executive officers and directors who are employees, is indeterminate at this time, as participation in any Offering under the 2001 Plan is completely discretionary on the part of each eligible employee.

Vote Required

Under our bylaws, the approval of the proposal to amend the 2001 Employee Stock Purchase Plan to increase the number of shares of common stock available for issuance thereunder requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes properly cast FOR and AGAINST the proposal. Like Proposal 2, this proposal is subject to the NYSE Voting Requirement. Under the rules of the NYSE, abstentions will count as votes cast with respect to this matter; accordingly, abstentions will be included in determining whether the NYSE Voting Requirement has been achieved, but will have the same effect as votes AGAINST the proposal. Broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast on this matter; accordingly, broker non-votes will make it more difficult for the NYSE Voting Requirement to be achieved (as they will not be included), but if the NYSE Voting Requirement is achieved, they will have no effect on the outcome of the vote.

Recommendation

Your Board believes that the increase in the number of shares of common stock available for issuance under the Alere Inc. 2001 Employee Stock Purchase Plan is in the best interest of our stockholders. Accordingly, your Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote FOR the approval of the increase in the number of shares of common stock available for issuance under the 2001 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, on the enclosed WHITE proxy card or voting instruction form.

A primary responsibility of the Audit Committee is to select an independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year. Several factors go into this selection process, including the firm’s historical and recent performance on similar projects, the firm’s experience, client service, responsiveness, leadership, management structure, client and employee retention, compliance and ethics programs, appropriateness of fees charged and the firm’s overall technical expertise. Based on all of these factors, the Audit Committee selected PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, or PwC, to serve as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2013. Pursuant to this proposal, we are asking our stockholders to ratify this selection. PwC has been our independent registered public accounting firm since June 2010. Although stockholder ratification is not required by our bylaws or otherwise and has no binding effect on the Audit Committee, we are submitting the selection of PwC as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2013 to our stockholders for ratification as a matter of good corporate practice. If the selection is not ratified, the Audit Committee may consider whether another registered independent public accounting firm is appropriate. Even if this

selection is ratified, the Audit Committee may, in its discretion, direct the appointment of a different independent public accounting firm at any time during the year if it determines that such a change would be in our best interest.

Vote Required

The ratification of the selection of PwC as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2013 requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes properly cast FOR and AGAINST this proposal. In accordance with Delaware law and our bylaws, abstentions and broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast on this matter and, accordingly, will have no effect on the outcome of the vote.

Recommendation

Your Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote FOR the ratification of the selection of PwC as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2013 on the enclosed WHITE proxy card or voting instruction form.

Your Board is committed to excellence in governance. As part of that commitment, and pursuant to Section 14A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, your Board is providing our stockholders an opportunity to cast an advisory vote regarding the compensation paid to our named executive officers.

The Compensation Committee develops and implements executive compensation policies and plans that provide incentives intended to promote our long-term strategic plans and that are consistent with our culture and the overall goal of enhancing enduring stockholder value. Our compensation policies and plans are designed to attract, retain and motivate the talented and dedicated executives who are critical to achieving our goals of continued growth, innovation, increasing profitability, and ultimately maximizing stockholder value. At our 2012 annual meeting of stockholders, our stockholders overwhelmingly approved the compensation paid to our named executive officers for 2011; of the votes cast on the proposal (which exclude abstentions and broker non-votes), 99% was cast for approval. Aside from the option grants to key executives approved by our stockholders at the 2012 annual meeting, our executive compensation program for our named executive officers who served in both 2012 and 2011 is substantially similar to the executive compensation program in place for those officers in 2011.

The “Compensation Discussion and Analysis,” beginning on page 38 of this proxy statement, describes our executive compensation program and the decisions made by the Compensation Committee with respect to 2012 in more detail.

Your Board believes that the compensation of our named executive officers for 2012 was established in a manner consistent with the best interests of our stockholders. Accordingly, we request that our stockholders approve the following resolution.

RESOLVED: That the compensation paid to our named executive officers, as disclosed pursuant to

Item 402 of Regulation S-K, including the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the compensation tables, and the accompanying narrative disclosure in our proxy statement for the 2013 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, is hereby approved.

While this resolution is non-binding, your Board values the opinions that stockholders express in their votes and in other discussions. Your Board will consider the outcome of the vote and those opinions in making compensation decisions for the remainder of 2013 and beyond.

In 2011, we held a stockholder advisory vote on the frequency of stockholder advisory votes on executive compensation. A majority of the votes cast were cast in favor of holding stockholder advisory votes on executive compensation every year, and we decided to follow the will of the majority. Accordingly, the next stockholder advisory vote on executive compensation will occur at next year’s annual meeting.

Vote Required

The approval of the non-binding proposal to approve the compensation of our named executive officers requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes properly cast FOR and AGAINST this proposal. Abstentions and broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast on this matter and, accordingly, will have no effect on the outcome of the vote.

Recommendation

Your Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote FOR the approval of the compensation paid to our named executive officers, as disclosed pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K, including the compensation discussion and analysis, the compensation tables and the accompanying narrative disclosure in the proxy statement, on the enclosed WHITE proxy card or voting instruction form.

This Compensation Discussion and Analysis discusses the compensation paid to our “named executive officers.” Based on 2012 total compensation, our named executive officers are:

For purposes of this Compensation Discussion and Analysis, we refer to Mr. Zwanziger, Dr. Scott and Dr. McAleer as our “key executives.”

Philosophy and Objectives

The objective of our executive compensation program for 2012 was to attract, retain and motivate the talented and dedicated executives who were critical to our goals of continued growth, innovation, increasing profitability and, ultimately, maximizing stockholder value. Specifically, we sought to attract and reward executives who displayed certain fundamental leadership characteristics that we had identified as consistent with our corporate goals and culture. We provided these executives with what we believed to be a competitive total compensation package, consisting primarily of base cash compensation, performance-based incentive compensation packages, including both equity and cash components, and a broad-based benefits program. Our 2012 compensation program was designed to reward each executive’s individual performance by considering generally their past and potential contributions to our achievement of key strategic goals, such as revenue generation, margin improvement and the establishment and maintenance of key strategic relationships. These performance factors were used to determine whether the performance-based incentive compensation awards would be granted to each executive. Our 2012 executive compensation program aimed to provide a risk-balanced compensation package which was competitive in our market sector and, more importantly, relevant to the individual executive. In

addition, in accordance with the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, at our 2012 annual meeting of stockholders, we submitted a non-binding, advisory proposal to our stockholders to approve the compensation paid to our named executive officers. Ninety-nine percent of our stockholders who cast votes with respect to that proposal supported our executive compensation practices, as set forth in our 2012 proxy statement. Our Compensation Committee interpreted the results of this advisory vote as a strong affirmation of our executive compensation practices. Given that our Compensation Committee implemented our executive compensation program for 2012 before the date of our 2012 annual meeting of stockholders, the Compensation Committee could not have considered the results of this advisory vote in establishing our executive compensation program for 2012. However, the Compensation Committee was aware of the results of the advisory vote at the time it assessed achievement of the performance goals established as part of our 2012 executive compensation program, which are described in more detail below.

Our policy for allocating between base cash compensation and incentive compensation for 2012 was to ensure adequate base compensation to attract and retain personnel, while providing incentives to maximize value for our company and our stockholders. For 2012, we provided (i) base cash compensation to meet competitive cash compensation norms and (ii) performance-based compensation that included the potential for the executives to earn cash-based and stock-based awards to reward superior performance against annual strategic targets and long-term stock price appreciation. Our Compensation Committee believed that this compensation structure would appropriately focus our executives’ attention on both current-year performance targets, which are critical to achievement of our stated corporate objectives, and long-term stock price appreciation.

Executive Compensation Process

The compensation of our named executive officers, as well as our other executive officers, has been reviewed by our Compensation Committee at least annually for consistency with our compensation philosophy and objectives. Our management, including our CEO, has participated in this review by making its own recommendations as to the base cash

compensation and performance-based compensation of our executive officers to the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee has considered the recommendations of management in assessing executive compensation, but from time to time it has also gathered and relied on other data and resources, and from time to time has utilized the services of a compensation consultant in reviewing and determining executive compensation.

In reviewing executive compensation during 2012, the Compensation Committee and management considered the practices of companies of similar size, geographic location and market focus. For this purpose, management and the Compensation Committee utilized the 2011 Radford Global Life Sciences Survey, or the 2011 Radford Survey, which provided comprehensive baseline compensation data on positions at the executive, management and professional levels, including base cash compensation, total cash compensation, options and other equity compensation, for 600 multinational life sciences companies. Our management and Compensation Committee also collected and analyzed other publicly-available compensation data and subscription compensation survey data and used this information in determining executive compensation. While benchmarking may not always be appropriate as a stand-alone tool for setting compensation due to the aspects of our business and objectives that may be unique to us, we generally believe that gathering this compensation information is an important part of our compensation-related decision-making process.

During 2012, the Compensation Committee also engaged a compensation consultant, Aon Consulting’s Radford Surveys + Consulting, or Radford, to assist the committee in assessing total compensation of our key executives. As part of its engagement, Radford assisted the Compensation Committee in reviewing the peer group of companies used by our Compensation Committee in assessing the competitiveness of the compensation of our key executives. The peer group selected by the Compensation Committee for purposes of evaluating compensation of the key executives consisted of twenty publicly-traded companies in a similar industry space and with similar revenues and market capitalizations. Our peer group did not change from 2011 to 2012. Of the peer group companies, 26% were health management companies and 74% were diagnostics/medical equipment companies.

Specifically, the peer group consisted of the following companies:

In connection with its engagement, Radford provided a detailed report, the Radford Report, which included summary observations and considerations regarding our compensation philosophy and methodology, as well as detailed competitive assessments of the cash and equity compensation of the key executives.

In 2012, pursuant to our Annual Executive Incentive Compensation Process, or the Annual Incentive Process, we offered annual performance-based incentive compensation packages under which a broad group of executives and managers worldwide, including Mr. Teitel, were eligible to receive stock-based awards, consisting of performance options, and cash awards based on the achievement of stated performance conditions. The performance options have an exercise price of $25.43 per share representing the closing price for the Company’s common stock on the date of grant,

February 29, 2012. The performance options will vest over 4 years in equal annual installments commencing one year from the grant date, subject to satisfaction of a number of corporate and, in some cases, business-level performance criteria applicable to calendar year 2012 performance. The performance criteria for the performance options were consistent with the definition of performance criteria set forth in the 2010 Plan and included an earnings per share target, an organic growth target and, in the case of certain executive officers, a return on investment capital target, as well as other performance criteria which vary from individual to individual. In the case of performance options for which some, but not all, of the performance criteria were satisfied, the Compensation Committee retained the discretion to permit a reduced number of the options to vest. The performance options have a term of ten years from the date of grant. The Compensation Committee also granted a contingent, performance-based cash award, or a Cash Award, to each executive and manager who received a performance option. Each Cash Award, if earned, would have entitled the recipient to receive a cash payment equal to the appreciation, if any, of our stock price during 2012 multiplied by the number of shares subject to the performance options granted to that person and would have been payable in 2 equal annual installments commencing one year from the grant date.

Adoption of the Annual Incentive Process was not intended to preclude the Compensation Committee from making equity or other awards outside of this process in appropriate circumstances, and the process is expected to evolve from year to year. In addition, the Compensation Committee expects to continue to make grants under our stockholder-approved stock option and incentive plans, or our Option Plans, outside of the Annual Incentive Process in connection with changes in responsibility, significant accomplishments, new hires and in other appropriate circumstances.

In determining each component of an executive’s compensation under our processes, numerous factors particular to the executive were considered, including:

Elements of Compensation

For 2012, executive compensation consisted of the following elements:

Base Cash Compensation.    Base cash compensation was established based on the factors discussed above. We sought to ensure that the base cash compensation of our executives would be competitive by targeting annual base salary for a particular individual near the average of the range of annual cash compensation (base cash compensation plus annual non-equity incentive compensation) for executives in similar positions with similar responsibilities at comparable companies. Other elements of compensation, including past and present grants of stock-based awards, were also considered. The salary and sign-on bonus to Mr. Nawana were considered and approved as appropriate incentives to entice Mr. Nawana to leave his prior employment. The Compensation Committee believed that competitive base cash compensation was necessary to attract and retain a management team with the requisite skills to lead your company. In 2012, based on its analysis of our salary objectives, the various factors discussed above, and the 2011 Radford Survey, and considering the total compensation of our named executive officers, the annual base salary paid to Mr. Teitel was increased from $375,000 to $400,000. In approving the base salary increase for Mr. Teitel, the Compensation Committee considered an analysis of total compensation for comparable executives as well as his background, expertise and experience, and individual performance and past contributions to our overall goals and objectives. While many of these factors are subjective measures, and are not based on any stated quantified objectives, they played an important role in the Compensation Committee’s decision-making process. These subjective factors were considered in the aggregate and, accordingly, no specific factor played a greater role in determining the increase in Mr. Teitel’s base salary. The Compensation Committee did not adjust

the base salaries of the other named executive officers during 2012.

Stock Options and Stock-based Awards.    For 2012, our Compensation Committee believed that the use of stock options and other stock-based awards would continue to offer the best approach to achieving our long-term compensation goals. Consistent with this belief, our Option Plans were established to provide certain of our employees, including our executive officers, with incentives to help align those employees’ interests with the interests of stockholders and with our long-term success. While our Option Plans allow our Compensation Committee to grant a number of different types of stock-based awards, we have relied exclusively on stock options to provide equity incentive compensation to our executive officers, other than one restricted stock grant made to Mr. Zwanziger in 2001 and one restricted stock grant made to Mr. Nawana at the time of his hiring in December 2012, which is more fully described below. Stock options granted to our executive officers have historically had an exercise price equal to the fair market value of our common stock on the grant date, except for certain grants of options to our key executives in July 2008, February 2010 and July 2012 that had exercise prices above the fair market value of our common stock on the grant date. Our stock options have typically vested 25% per annum based upon continued employment over a four-year period, and generally have had terms expiring ten years after the date of grant. Stock option grants to our executive officers have been made in connection with the commencement of employment, in conjunction with an annual review of total compensation and, occasionally, following a significant change in job responsibilities or to meet other special retention or performance objectives. While our Compensation Committee expects to continue to grant stock options on an ad hoc basis as circumstances warrant (consistent with the granting policy described below), in the future we expect that stock option awards will primarily be granted to our named executive officers as part of the Annual Incentive Process. Proposals to grant stock options to our executive officers in 2012, including those made in connection with the Annual Incentive Process, were made by our CEO to the Compensation Committee. With respect to proposals for grants made to our executive officers in 2012, the Compensation Committee reviewed consultant reports, as discussed above, individual performance,

the executive’s existing compensation and other retention considerations. The Compensation Committee considered the estimated Black-Scholes valuation of each proposed stock option grant in determining the number of options subject to each grant in 2012. Generally, 2012 stock option grants for each named executive officer were based on the factors discussed above and were intended to be valued near the average of the range of the value of long-term incentive awards for executives in similar positions with similar responsibilities at comparable companies, although other elements of compensation, including salary, were also considered.

Generally, stock option grants to executive officers have been made in conjunction with meetings of your Board of Directors. In 2012, grants were made in accordance with your Board’s previously adopted stock option granting policy, which includes the following elements:

We have not adopted stock ownership guidelines for our executive officers.

For 2012, Mr. Teitel participated in the Annual Incentive Process and was awarded a performance-based compensation package based upon 7,500 shares of our common stock, consisting of stock options and a Cash Award. There were numerous performance conditions applicable to the awards to Mr. Teitel, all of which had to be satisfied in order for the awards to vest in full. These performance conditions included an earnings per share target of $2.56, an organic growth target of 4% and ensuring accurate, timely and proper financial reporting related to company performance. The first two performance goals were not fully met, and as a result, Mr. Teitel’s performance-based option vested only as to 375 shares of our common stock. Because our stock price declined during 2012, the accompanying Cash Award had no value.

For 2012, our Compensation Committee decided that our key executives should receive stock options only if the grant of those options were specifically approved by our stockholders. At our annual meeting of stockholders in July 2012, our stockholders approved the grant to Mr. Zwanziger, Dr. Scott and Dr. McAleer of options to purchase 490,000, 175,000 and 150,000 shares, respectively. While the closing price of our common stock on the date of grant was $19.00, these options were granted with a premium exercise price of $50.00. Due to the premium exercise price and the fact that the price of our common stock would need to increase almost 165% in order for these option grants to be “in the money,” your Board and Compensation Committee considered these grants to be stronger incentives for the generation and maintenance of long-term appreciation of our stock price than standard options grants and in the best interest of our stockholders. More than 93% of our stockholders who cast votes with respect to this proposal in 2012 supported these option grants.

On December 30, 2012, in connection with his appointment as our Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Nawana was granted 110,000 restricted stock units, or RSUs, as follows: 5,000 RSUs to vest one year after the grant date, 5,000 RSUs to vest two years after the grant date, and 100,000 RSUs to vest three years after the grant date. If Mr. Nawana’s employment is involuntarily terminated without cause within three years, his RSUs will accelerate and fully vest. The RSUs will also accelerate and fully vest if Mr. Nawana terminates his employment voluntarily after one year, other than in the presence of facts or circumstances which would constitute

cause for termination by us. On that date, Mr. Nawana was also granted, effective December 31, 2012, an option to purchase 200,000 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $18.50, the closing price of our common stock on December 31, 2012. The Compensation Committee considered these grants to be appropriate incentives to entice Mr. Nawana to leave his prior employment employer and accept our offer to serve as our Chief Operating Officer. The Compensation Committee also considered an analysis of total compensation for comparable executives based on Mr. Nawana’s expected role, in which he would be responsible for all of our world-wide commercial, research and development, and operational functions, the estimated Black-Scholes valuation of the RSU and stock option grants, as well as information available to the Compensation Committee regarding Mr. Nawana’s background, expertise, experience and performance in other companies. While many of these factors are subjective measures, and are not based on any stated quantified objectives, they played an important role in the Compensation Committee’s decision-making process. These subjective factors were considered in the aggregate and, accordingly, no specific factor played a greater role in determining the grants.

Bonuses.    Cash bonuses and other non-equity incentive compensation have not historically been a regular or important element of our executive compensation strategy; instead, our Compensation Committee has focused on stock-based awards designed to reward long-term performance. While the Compensation Committee generally remains committed to this strategy, the Annual Incentive Process established during 2012 did provide for cash awards, vesting over two years, if performance targets were met during the target year. The primary purpose of the Cash Awards was to further incent executives to achieve shorter-term results based upon the price appreciation of our common stock during the performance period. Because our stock price declined during 2012, the Cash Awards had no value.

Other Compensation.    None of our named executive officers is entitled to receive any payment upon a change in control of our company or a termination of his employment with us, except as described above with respect to the RSUs granted to Mr. Nawana. Our named executive officers’ service with our company is at will. The named executive officers were not eligible to participate in, and did not

have any accrued benefits under, any company-sponsored defined benefit pension plan in 2012. They were eligible to, and in some case did, participate in defined contributions plans, such as a 401(k) plan, on the same terms as other employees. The terms of these defined contribution plans varied depending on the jurisdiction of employment of the executive. In addition, consistent with our compensation philosophy, the Compensation Committee maintained in 2012 generally the same benefits and perquisites for our executive officers as in prior years, which consisted of certain matching contributions under our defined benefit plans and payment of life insurance premiums. The Compensation Committee believes that the benefits and perquisites provided to our executive officers in 2012 were lower than median competitive levels for comparable companies. Finally, all of our executives were eligible to participate in our other employee benefit plans, including medical, dental, life and disability insurance.

Tax Implications

Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, limits the deductibility on our tax return of compensation over $1,000,000 to certain of the named executive officers unless, in general, the compensation is paid pursuant to a plan which is performance-related, non-discretionary and has been approved by our stockholders. We have periodically reviewed the potential consequences of Section 162(m) and on occasion have sought to structure the performance-based portion of our executive compensation to comply with the exemptions available under Section 162(m). We believe that options granted in 2012 under our Option Plans generally qualify as performance-based compensation under Section 162(m). However, we reserve the right to use our judgment to authorize compensation payments that do not comply with these exemptions when we believe that such payments are appropriate and in the best interest of the stockholders, after taking into consideration changing business conditions or the applicable officer’s performance. For example, we do not believe that the RSUs granted to Mr. Nawana will qualify as performance-based compensation and, accordingly, we may be unable to deduct some or all of the compensation expense associated with any RSUs that vest.

Compensation Committee Report

We, the Compensation Committee, have reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis beginning on page 38 of this proxy statement with management.

Based on this review and discussion, we recommended to your Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this proxy statement.

THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE

Carol R. Goldberg, Chairperson

Eli Y. Adashi, Member

Robert P. Khederian, Member

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

During 2012, the members of the Compensation Committee were Ms. Goldberg (Chairperson), Dr. Adashi and Mr. Khederian. No member of the Compensation Committee has ever been an officer or employee of ours or any of our subsidiaries. None of our executive officers serves as a director or member of the compensation committee of another entity in a case where an executive officer of such other entity serves as a director of ours or a member of our Compensation Committee.