About Us

1880s

Lilly was one of the first companies to initiate a bona fide pharmaceutical research program, hiring a pharmaceutical chemist as its first scientist.

1920s

Our researchers collaborated with Frederick Banting and Charles Best of the University of Toronto to isolate and purify insulin for the treatment of diabetes, then a fatal disease with no effective treatment options. The work resulted in Lilly´s introduction of Iletin, the world´s first commercially available insulin product, in 1923.

Lilly initiated a research program to find a treatment for pernicious anemia, a life-threatening blood disorder, and introduced a liver-extract product that served as a standard of therapy for decades. The company´s collaborators on the project, two researchers at Harvard University, later shared a Nobel Prize for the discovery of liver therapy against anemias.

1940s

Lilly was among the first companies to develop a method to mass-produce penicillin, the world´s first antibiotic, marking the beginning of a sustained effort to fight infectious diseases.

1950s

The company introduced vancomycin, a powerful antibiotic that remains the last line of defense for patients suffering from serious hospital infections associated with certain types of resistant bacteria.

Lilly launched erythromycin, an antibiotic whose broad antimicrobial spectrum expands the alternatives for penicillin-allergic patients.

1960s

Lilly launched the first of a long line of oral and injectable antibiotics in a new class called cephalosporins. Over the next two decades, the company pioneered important chemical breakthroughs that allowed the large-scale production of these products, which include Keflex® and Kefzol®.

The company also introduced vincristine and vinblastine, anticancer drugs known as vinca alkaloids that are derived from the rosy periwinkle plant.

1970s

Ceclor®, a member of the cephalosporin family, was launched and eventually became the world´s top-selling oral antibiotic. Lilly introduced Dobutrex®, an innovative and lifesaving cardiovascular product.

1980s

The most significant breakthrough in diabetes care since the 1920s was marked by Lilly´s 1982 introduction of Humulin® an insulin identical to that produced by the human body. Humulin is the world´s first human-health-care product created using recombinant DNA technology. Lilly later applied this technology to the introduction of Humatrope®, a new therapy for growth hormone deficiency in children.

Lilly launched Prozac®, the first major introduction in a new class of drugs for treatment of clinical depression.

1990s

Lilly introduced a stream of innovative new products: Gemzar®, a drug for the treatment of pancreatic and non-small-cell lung cancer; ReoPro®, a cardiovascular drug that prevents blood clots following certain heart procedures, such as angioplasty; Zyprexa®, now the world´s top-selling antipsychotic for the treatment of schizophrenia; Humalog®, a fast-acting insulin product that offers greater dosing convenience to improve blood-sugar control; and Evista®, the first of a new class of drugs to be used for the prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.In 1999, Takeda Chemical Industries, Ltd. and Lilly successfully launched Actos®, an oral antidiabetes agent.

2000s

In the first five years of the new Century, Lilly has launched an unprecedented seven new medicines. This is a result of continued focus on R&D and an above industry average investment of over 19% of sales in R&D. In 2001 the first new medicine was another first-in-class product, Xigris®, for the treatment of severe sepsis. This was followed in 2003 by Cialis® for erectile dysfunction and Forsteo® for severe osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. In 2004, the company launched Strattera®, a non-stimulant for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Alimta® the first ever chemotherapy medicine to treat mesothelioma, cancer of the lung caused by exposure to asbestos and Yentreve®  the first medication to treat moderate to severe stress urinary incontinence, the most prevalent form of urinary incontinence in women. In 2005, Lilly launched Cymbalta® for depression with somatic symptoms, building on a long heritage of firsts in mental health.