Eli Lilly and Company - Mesothelioma Chemotherapy & Drug Companies

Eli Lilly, the 10th largest pharmaceutical company in the world, is the manufacturer of one of today's most promising mesothelioma drugs, Alimta. The company was founded in 1876 by a U.S. Civil War veteran and chemist, Colonel Eli Lilly. Lilly was said to have been frustrated by the ineffective and poorly prepared medicines of his era. His goal was to make a mark on the pharmaceutical industry by improving the quality of drugs available to Americans during the late 19th century and beyond.

Highly concerned with using the newest science in the development of his drugs, Colonel Lilly expanded his business in 1886 when he hired a full-time scientist/chemist who would strive to improve upon the newest techniques for quality evaluation. This hiring laid the groundwork for what would become Lilly's main emphasis - a dedication to the discovery and development of new and better medications. Overtime, Lilly family members would go on to serve as president of the company while maintaining the same goals as those of founder Eli Lilly.

Company Facts

• Eli Lilly is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana.
• The company employs about 20,000 individuals in facilities throughout the U.S., including 12,000 at its Indianapolis location.
• Worldwide, Eli Lilly employs a workforce of nearly 40,000, with manufacturing plants located in 13 countries and research and development laboratories in 8 foreign countries.
• Approximately 8,000 chemists, scientists, and others work in the field of research and development.
• Eli Lilly and Company products are marketed in more than 140 countries.

Notable Achievements

In many instances, Eli Lilly and Company was a groundbreaker in the field of pharmaceutical development.

• In 1923, the company offered the first commercially available insulin product for diabetics. At the time, diabetes was almost always a fatal disease.
• In the 1940s, Eli Lilly and Company devised a way to mass produce penicillin, the first antibiotic.
• In the 1950s, the company developed erythromycin, an alternative antibiotic for the many individuals who were allergic to penicillin.
• The 1960s saw the development of oral antibiotics such as Keflex and new cancer chemotherapy drugs.
• In the 1980s, Eli Lilly manufactured Prozac, the first of a new line of drugs for clinical depression.
• The 1990s and the first decade of the 21st century saw the production of new medications, including Alimta, the only FDA-approved chemotherapy drug specifically designated for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma. Alimta is most often used in conjunction with the chemotherapy drug cisplatin and has shown promise in expanding the life expectancy of mesothelioma patients.