Research & Development

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Bold _science_
happens here

Every day, we choose to be bold—to write new chapters in science—so people
can have a chance at better health.

Watch the Bold Science Happens Here video

00:00
[Music: Forward moving, positive & quirky electronica underscore with glistening, rhythmical synths & driving bassline.]

00:01-00:05
[A female scientist in a lab, looking at an automated pipetting robot. Cut to the same woman standing in the middle of the lab, looking directly at the camera. Red words “WE GO BOLD” appear on the screen.]

Narrator 1: We go bold every day.

00:05-00:08
[Medium close-up of male Narrator two delivering line to the camera.]

Narrator 2: That's how real, game-changing innovation happens.

00:08-00:10
[A person grabs a white Lilly lab coat hanging on the wall. Cut to a closeup of a person putting on the white Lilly lab coat.]

00:10-00:13
[The camera pans around a glass wall with the Lilly logo. Cut to a male scientist in a lab, dropping liquid into a test tube.]

Narrator 2: By looking at what others deem impossible or too risky

00:13-00:15
[Medium close-up of male Narrator two delivering the line to the camera.]

and embracing it as a challenge,

00:15-00:16
[Close-up of a male scientist holding an orange test tube with a disappointed look on his face.] as an opportunity.

00:16-00:17
[Close-up of a female scientist smiling and nodding at the scientist from the previous clip. Cut to a medium shot of both of them looking at the test tube in the lab.]

Narrator 3: Let's try that again.

00:18-00:21
[Narrator four stands at a desk in a library and delivers her lines to the camera. Red words “BOLD DECISIONS” appear on the screen behind the subject.]

Narrator 4: An opportunity to make bold decisions.

00:21-00:27
[Two scientists working in a laboratory, discussing or analyzing data on a whiteboard filled with chemical formulas and notes. Cut to close-ups of both scientists.]

Narrator 5: Tackling some of society's most difficult, complex diseases, like neurodegeneration, obesity,

00:27-00:32
[Close-up of a scientist looking through a microscope; the scientist is wearing protective goggles and a mask. Cut to a close-up of the microscope dial and a hand moving the dial counterclockwise. Microscope view of red blood cells. Cut to a close-up of the same scientist looking through the microscope.]
cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and immunological disorders.

00:32-00:34
[Scientist from the previous scene looking directly at the camera. Red words “BOLD SOLUTIONS” appear on the screen.]
Investing in bold solutions,

00:34-00:37
[Syringes pass through inspection quickly on the production line. Cut to a female having a virtual call on her laptop.]
accelerated speeds, and a heightened purpose

00:37-00:40
[A young boy hugs a female in a wheelchair.]

to help people get better.

00:40-00:45
[A close-up shot of a female scientist in the lab, looking through a microscope. Cut to a shot of her hands, holding tweezers, and then cut to a wide shot with a computer screen that displays the microscope view. Red words “BOLDLY PIONEER” appear on the screen.]

Narrator 1: An opportunity to boldly pioneer new technologies

00:45-00:48
[A female scientist walks away from a computer. Cut to a pipetting robot arm gliding across plastic trays. Cut to a close-up of the machine, lowering droppers into test tubes.]

that will redefine the boundaries of possibility,

00:48-00:50
[Female Narrator one delivers lines to the camera.]

from discovery to delivery,

00:50-00:55
[Quick flashes of images: liquid going into a test tube, liquid dispersing onto a test slide, close- up of microscope parts, and quick cuts of multiple cells from the microscope view.]

directly shaping the future of science itself.

00:55-00:56
[Female Narrator six delivers lines to the camera.]

Narrator 6: To be relentless

00:56-00:58 [Close-up of a medical book on a table; a person’s hands touch the book. Cut to a woman looking off in the distance, processing the information she just read.]

in the pursuit of unexplored pathways,

00:58-01:01
[Wide shot of the previous woman, typing on a computer. Red words “BOLD CURIOSITY’ appear on the screen.]
fueled by a bold curiosity and the commitment to make life better

1:01-1:04
[Narrator six delivers the line to the camera. Cut to hands starting to open a pill organizer.] for people around the world.

01:05-01:08
[Continuation of the previous shot. Cut to a woman being slowly moved into an MRI machine.]

Narrator 4: This commitment goes beyond the pipeline of molecules we're creating

01:08-01:11
[A doctor administers a shot into a patient’s arm.]

and extends to the entirety of the patient experience.

01:11-01:14
[Over-the-shoulder shot of a scientist examining brain scans on a display in front of them. Cut to two hands intertwining. Cut to a close-up of an eye. Cut to the sun peeking out behind an apartment building.]

Narrator 5: To remove barriers to access our medicines and live healthier lives.
01:17-01:18
[Narrator two delivers the line to camera.]

Narrator 2: Embrace challenges.

01:18-01:19
[Narrator six delivers the line to camera.]

Narrator 6: Take risks.

01:19-01:20 
[Narrator four delivers the line to camera.]

Narrator 4: Be persistent.

01:20-01:22
[Narrator one delivers the line to camera.]

Narrator 1: Exceed expectations.

01:22-01:26
[A scientist looks down; his head is framed between beakers full of orange liquid. Cut to a wide shot of him examining the beakers in a lab; a second scientist is on a computer behind him.]

Hmm, sounds bold. At Lilly,

01:26-01:35
[Narrator one sits at a desk in a library and speaks to the camera. Cut to white text over red background: “BOLD SCIENCE HAPPENS HERE.” Cut to Lilly logo over red with text under it: “A MEDICINE COMPANY.”]

bold science happens here.

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We go bold in the
name of science

Watch now
Video Transcript
Microscope icon

Called to discover,

driven to deliver

Solving the most complex medical challenges not only requires persistence, but also a bold, science-driven mindset. It means that we push the limits of today's science for the promise of delivering tomorrow's medicines because people around the world are relying on our life-changing breakthroughs.

For nearly 150 years, our research and development (R&D) legacy has resulted in the development of more than 100 medicines across some of the most challenging diseases.

And we’re not
slowing down

From the discovery to the delivery of medicine, we are doubling down on bold approaches to scientific innovation.

~50

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New medicine candidates in clinical development or under regulatory review.1

~6 years

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Reduced first human dose to medicine launch from ~11years to ~6years.2

23

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Medicines launched globally in a single decade, including game-changing therapies for diabetes, obesity and Alzheimer’s disease.3
Lilly lab employee holding scientific equipment

From bold ideas to game-
changing treatments

Meaningful scientific change requires tenacity and bold ideas. That’s why we are unwilling to abandon potential solutions for difficult-to-treat diseases simply because the science is too complex. We pursue drug targets with the strongest science, with the goal of bringing forward innovation to help more people get better. With nearly 25% of our workforce engaged in R&D, we’re committed to prioritizing speed, quality, safety and novelty to deliver game-changing treatments to people around the world.
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Elderly woman wearing a blue headband

Alzheimer's Disease

We’re approaching Alzheimer’s disease from every angle, working with speed to advance the science that could lead to breakthrough therapies and discovering new ways to facilitate timely and accurate diagnoses.
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Patient receiving an ultrasound on her chest

Cancer

We are expanding a portfolio of programs based on high biologic conviction to give people living with cancer more options. Our early-stage molecules under investigation include a KRAS G12C inhibitor, Next-Gen RET inhibitor and PI3Kα inhibitor.
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Overweight man singing into a microphone at a bar

Cardiovascular Disease

We look to innovate the next breakthrough treatments across the full spectrum of cardiovascular disease (CVD), discovering and delivering medicines rooted in novel capabilities, such as genetic medicine, that can address areas of high unmet need.
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Obese man looking in the mirror

Diabetes

Our focus remains on breakthroughs and curative approaches to improve the lives of people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, such as investigating novel therapeutic approaches that simplify glycemic control.
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Man holding a basketball on a court

Immunology

To address the unresolved impact of immune-mediated diseases, we’re delivering innovative medicines that provide better results. We are investing in next-generation medicines and exploring new innovation in our immunology-related clinical programs.
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Obese person sitting on bed

Obesity

We’re pursuing innovations in GLP-1s, novel drug targets and in-combination therapies to treat obesity and its associated diseases.
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Side profile of a woman leaning over with her eyes closed

Pain

We’re advancing innovative science and non-opioid medicines to enable a better approach to comprehensive pain management.
Game-changing
moments in history
1923 before and after photos of a patient after treatment from the world's first commercially available insulin product

1923

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Launched world’s first commercially
available insulin product
Archival photo of a Lilly employee in an early lab

1940s

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One of the first companies to develop a
method to mass-produce Penicillin-G,
the world’s first widely available
antibiotic
Three images depicting the manufacturing, production and delivery of the polio vaccine globally

1955

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First medicine company to manufacture
and distribute the polio vaccine globally
Two images of Oncovin (vincristine) bottles and production

1963

timeline-item, title-fs-36px, description-fs-16px
FDA first approved Oncovin (vincristine),
a vinca alkaloid, in 1963 for leukemia
treatment
Women manufacturing Keflin (sodium cephalothin)

1964

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Keflin (sodium cephalothin), the first
cephalosporin, was approved in 1964
20mg Prozac® (fluoxetine hydrochloride, Lilly) pill

1986

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Introduced Prozac® (fluoxetine
hydrochloride), marking a breakthrough
in how clinical depression is treated
monoclonal antibody graphic

2020

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Developed the first approved monoclonal
antibody (mAB) therapy to treat
coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)
Receptor graphic

2022

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The first and only GIP and GLP-1 receptor
agonist approved for type 2 diabetes
(2022) and obesity (2023)
DNA graphic

2024

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Restored the hearing of a child within 30
days of administration of an
investigational gene therapy (AK-OTOF)
in a Phase 1 / 2 study
Brain scan graphic

2024

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The first and only amyloid plaque-
targeting therapy with dosing
instructions that allow for a limited-
duration treatment regimen approved for
the treatment of early Alzheimer's
disease
Meaningful scientific change requires tenacity and bold ideas. That’s why we are unwilling to abandon potential solutions for difficult-to-treat diseases simply because the science is too complex. We pursue drug targets with the strongest science, with the goal of bringing forward innovation to help more people get better. With nearly 25% of our workforce engaged in R&D, we’re committed to prioritizing speed, quality, safety and novelty to deliver game-changing treatments to people around the world.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Discover more about our
science and innovation

References

  1. Eli Lilly and Company. 2023 Annual Report.
  2. Herper, M. (2023, July 6). With savvy bets, a dynamic duo makes Eli Lilly one of pharma’s biggest success stories. STAT.
  3. Eli Lilly and Company. Current Medicines.