Eli Lilly Plans Insulin Manufacturing Investments

Eli Lilly plans to invest more than $700 million to enhance its global insulin-manufacturing capacity in Puerto Rico, France, and China as well as in Indianapolis, Indiana, the site of the company's global headquarters. The new investment increases Eli Lilly's manufacturing commitment in the past year to more than $1 billion in planned investments for insulin.

Nearly half of the $1-billion investment will improve the company's Indianapolis sites, where Eli Lilly has been manufacturing insulin since it introduced the first commercially available insulin product in 1923. The new manufacturing investments will support existing and future insulin-based medicines. In France, the company is investing $120 million to enhance insulin-cartridge manufacturing capacity. At its sites in Indianapolis and Puerto Rico, the company is investing $245 million to expand insulin active- ingredient and delivery-device manufacturing capacity. In addition, the company will invest $350 million to expand insulin-cartridge manufacturing capacity in China.

In addition to these new investments, Eli Lilly recently reported other insulin-related commitments in Indianapolis totaling $320 million to expand insulin active-ingredient and drug-product manufacturing capacity as well as an additional $80 million in ancillary projects. Together, this brings the company's total investment commitment during the past year to more than $1 billion, which will be invested during the next several years.

The commitment to expand insulin production in China is the latest in a series of diabetes-related investments, such as the opening of the Lilly China Research and Development Center in Shanghai last year. The company is also investing in diabetes research. The company currently has 14 new molecular entities in clinical development, including three under regulatory review and another in Phase III, for the treatment of diabetes and related complications.

Source: Eli Lilly