Eli Lilly and Company

Eli Lilly is the 10th-largest pharmaceutical company in the world and at more than 100 years old has contributed to some of the most important advances in modern medicine. Among its medical contributions, the company helped revolutionize diabetes care, psychiatric medication and cancer treatment with the development of Alimta. A relatively new medication, Alimta has been shown to increase life span in mesothelioma patients.

The Indiana-based corporation has a presence in 125 countries, and it employs 38,000 people worldwide. Although the company foresees some setbacks in coming years, Lilly intends to continue its expansion. As it grows, the corporation plans to further its cancer research and expand upon its present selection of chemotherapy drugs.

Do you want to know more about Alimta or other chemotherapy drugs for mesothelioma? If so, our Patient Advocates are ready to help. Contact them by filling out this form or by calling them at (800) 615-2270.

Eli Lilly and Mesothelioma

Alimta, also called pemetrexed, is one of Lilly's most successful cancer drugs. The chemotherapy drug was introduced to the market in 2004 for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) and was later approved for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer. It's designed to interfere with the specific enzymes that help cancer cells multiply and spread.

In MPM patients, Alimta should be combined with cisplatin, another chemotherapy drug, to best combat the cancer. Compared to cisplatin alone, the combination of both Alimta and cisplatin has been shown to improve the median survival time of MPM patients.

Eli Lilly History

Eli Lilly was founded in 1876 and incorporated in 1901. It was one of the first companies to develop an official pharmaceutical research program. This allowed the company to take the lead in many developing areas of medicine.

Lilly historically allotted a great deal of resources to diabetes research. In 1923, it introduced a state-of-the-art diabetes treatment, the world's first commercially available insulin product. In the 1980s, Lilly reported another research breakthrough, introducing a product that provided insulin identical to that produced naturally.

Over the past century, Lilly has made strides for the treatment of other major medical problems as well. In the 1920s, it helped create an anemia medication that for decades remained standard treatment for the condition. From the 1940s, Lilly was on the forefront of antibiotic developments such as mass-producing penicillin. And in the 1980s it created Prozac, the first major medicine for clinical depression.

Diabetes, mental health diseases and other conditions are part of Lilly's ongoing research and development focus, but in the past few decades it shifted more attention toward cancer treatment.

Lilly first ventured into cancer treatment in the 1960s when it released two cancer drugs derived from the rosy periwinkle plant. However, it really made cancer advancements in the 1990s, putting out a drug for the treatment of both pancreatic cancer and non-small-cell lung cancer. It since has introduced Alimta.

Eli Lilly's Struggles

Although Lilly has had immense success with dozens of prescription medications, the company is struggling on a number of fronts. By 2018, Lilly will lose patent protection on drugs that made up three-quarters of its 2010 earnings. This includes the end of the patent for Zyprexa, a schizophrenia drug. Zypreza generated $5 billion for the company in 2010.

Zyprexa has also been the source of a number of lawsuits. Lilly has been accused of off-label marketing, encouraging use of the drug in ways that are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Zyprexa and similar drugs have been linked with higher death rates in elderly users, inappropriate use in children, severe weight gain and diabetes.

Despite some pending issues, Eli Lilly remains a powerhouse in the pharmaceutical industry. In years to come, it hopes to develop more advanced drugs, especially for diabetes, psychiatric illnesses and cancer.

Get a Fast Answer to Your Question

Do you have more questions about asbestos related diseases, how they are treated? We'll get you a fast answer. Fill out our fast answer form and we'll get you the information you need.

Sources: