Making New Medicines

There can be 40 or more steps in manufacturing a given product, and the recipe has to be followed perfectly every time.

When a new medicine has been proven safe and effective, and patients are waiting for it, Lilly's manufacturing capabilities must gear up to achieve general availability as quickly as possible. These manufacturing capabilities include dry products such as tablets and capsules, oral liquids and parenterals (injections) packaged in vials or cartridges.

Tightly controlled procedures coupled with strict quality standards govern Lilly's manufacturing facilities. Six major manufacturing facilities in Ireland, the United Kingdom, the U.S. and Puerto Rico produce the bulk ingredients. These active drug substances are then shipped to Lilly finishing plants around the world. There, the drug is formed into a tablet, poured into a capsule, or injected into a vial or cartridge. State-of-the-art technologies and processing — from freeze-drying liquids and pouring powder-like substance into capsules to product labeling and packaging — ensure consistent high quality and environmental safety.

From Raw Materials to Finished Products
Ensuring Purity and Quality
Why Shelf Life is Important