Key Facts

Lilly at a Glance

  • Founded May 10, 1876

  • Headquartered in Indianapolis, USA

  • Lilly introduced the world's first commercial insulin in 1923

  • More than 46,000 employees worldwide

  • More than 11,000 employees engaged in research and development

  • Products marketed in 105 countries

Research & Development

  • £30 million invested in UK R&D in the last 3 years

  • Percentage of total workforce engaged in R&D: 23.7%

  • Research and development facilities located in 8 countries

  • Clinical research conducted in more than 55 countries

  • Manufacturing sites located in 9 countries

Our Employees

  • Of our 46,913 employees worldwide, 21,729 are in the US and 25,184 are outside the US (2024)

  • Nearly 700 people employed in the UK (2025)

  • Percentage of women in management in the UK: 49% (2024)

  • Racial and ethnic minority representation in management in the US: 24% (2023)

Social Impact

  • For over 100 years, Lilly employees, retirees and the Lilly Foundation have contributed more than $300 million to United Way

  • Since 2009, Lilly has donated more than 8.1 million vials and cartridges of insulin through  Life for a Child

  • Almost 200,000 people screened for breast and cervical cancer in Kenya through AMPATH partnership

  • More than 1 million employee volunteer hours through Lilly Global Day of Service since 2008

Cost of Pharmaceuticals

  • Average cost to discover and develop a new drug: $2.6 billion

  • Average length of time from discovery to patient: 10 years