Can you tell us briefly what Lilly does?
Eli Lilly and Company—or “Lilly” for short—is a global, research-based pharmaceuticals company headquartered in Indianapolis (USA). Our key therapeutic products and research focus on the areas of dermatology, diabetology, neurology/psychiatry, rheumatology, oncology, and pain therapy.
Lilly was founded in 1876 by the pharmacist Eli Lilly. Since then, our researchers have consistently devoted themselves to finding new, and improving existing, therapies for previously incurable or insufficiently treatable diseases. This means that a passion for research is part of our DNA. One particular breakthrough—and the start of our success story—was that we were the first company to mass-produce insulin. This meant that being diagnosed with diabetes was no longer a death sentence.
Our activities—from discovery through drug development, manufactoring and sales down to patient programs and volunteer initiatives—reflect our commitment and our mission: To combine care and a passion for research in the service of developing innovative drugs that make people’s lives better or easier around the world.
What is more, we are pretty successful at all this: With annual revenues of a good USD 28 billion, we are one of the top 15 pharmaceuticals companies worldwide in terms of sales. For many years now, we have reinvested roughly 25 percent of our revenues in research and development, making us an innovation leader in the sector. Our strong focus on innovation is paying off, too: Our current pipeline is one of the most promising in the industry.
Your German headquarters have been located in Hessen since 1960. What are you working on in Bad Homburg?
Germany is Lilly’s third-largest country organization. And we have been loyal to Bad Homburg for more than 50 years. Our location here is focused on sales and marketing. In addition, our office is a leader in providing support for clinical studies and home to many colleagues from international functions such as quality assurance, logistics, and IT.
