Eli Lilly and Company: Difference between revisions
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Lilly’s own published data, which it told its sales representatives to play down in conversations with doctors, has shown that 30 percent of patients taking Zyprexa gain 22 pounds or more after a year on the drug, and some patients have reported gaining 100 pounds or more. But Lilly was concerned that Zyprexa’s sales would be hurt if the company was more forthright about the fact that the drug might cause unmanageable weight gain or diabetes, according to the documents, which cover the period 1995 to 2004. |
Lilly’s own published data, which it told its sales representatives to play down in conversations with doctors, has shown that 30 percent of patients taking Zyprexa gain 22 pounds or more after a year on the drug, and some patients have reported gaining 100 pounds or more. But Lilly was concerned that Zyprexa’s sales would be hurt if the company was more forthright about the fact that the drug might cause unmanageable weight gain or diabetes, according to the documents, which cover the period 1995 to 2004. |
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In one of the only three cases to ever go to trial for [[SSRI]] indication in [[suicide]], Eli Lilly was caught corrupting the judicial process by making a deal with the plaintiff's attorney to throw the case, in part by not disclosing damaging evidence to the jury. |
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The case involved a Kentucky man on [[Prozac]], who went to his workplace and opened fire with an assault rifle killing 8 people, and injuring 12 others before turning the gun on himself. The jury returned a 9-to-3 verdict in favor of Lilly. The judge, in the end, took the matter to the Kentucky Supreme Court, which found that "there was a serious lack of candor with the trial court and there may have been deception, bad faith conduct, abuse of judicial process and, perhaps even fraud." The judge later revoked the verdict and instead, recorded the case as settled. The value of the secret settlement deal has been reported to be over $20 million. |
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In its packet insert for [[Cymbalta]] (duloxetine), Lilly claims "that no suicides were committed" during trials of Cymbalta. The trials including the suicide of 19-year-old Traci Johnson, and four other unnamed patients who committed suicide during Lilly trials for duloxetine, were cleared by the [[Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA), stating that underlying depression - not the drug - caused sufferers to become suicidal. Johnson was in a Lilly trial testing duloxetine as Yentreve, a urinary stress incontinence medication, and not in an anti-depressant trial. Consequently, many critics claim that the FDA approval of duloxetine for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and [[diabetic]] [[neuropathy]] is irresponsible, and is a case illustration of the agency's failure to prevent harmful drugs for fear of harming the big profits of large pharmaceutical companies. |
In its packet insert for [[Cymbalta]] (duloxetine), Lilly claims "that no suicides were committed" during trials of Cymbalta. The trials including the suicide of 19-year-old Traci Johnson, and four other unnamed patients who committed suicide during Lilly trials for duloxetine, were cleared by the [[Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA), stating that underlying depression - not the drug - caused sufferers to become suicidal. Johnson was in a Lilly trial testing duloxetine as Yentreve, a urinary stress incontinence medication, and not in an anti-depressant trial. Consequently, many critics claim that the FDA approval of duloxetine for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and [[diabetic]] [[neuropathy]] is irresponsible, and is a case illustration of the agency's failure to prevent harmful drugs for fear of harming the big profits of large pharmaceutical companies. |
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Revision as of 02:10, 31 December 2006
| Eli Lilly logo | |
| Company type | Public (NYSE: LLY) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare |
| Founded | 1876 |
| Headquarters | Indianapolis, Indiana, USA |
Key people | Sidney Taurel, Chairman & CEO John C. Lechleiter, President Derica Rice, CFO Eli Lilly, Founder |
| Products | Prozac, Cialis, Strattera, Darvocet |
| Revenue |  $14.6 billion USD (2005) |
6,244,800,000 United States dollar (2022)  | |
Number of employees | 44,500 (2004) |
| Website | www.lilly.com |
Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) is a global pharmaceutical company and one of the world's largest corporations.
Eli Lilly's global headquarters is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the United States. The company was founded in 1876 by a pharmaceutical chemist, Eli Lilly, for which the company was ultimately named.
Fortune 500 company
A Fortune 500 corporation, Eli Lilly had revenues of $14.6 billion in 2005, making it the 148th largest company in the United States. The company is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange and is a member of the S&P 500 stock index. Eli Lilly is one of the Nifty Fifty stocks that propelled the late 20th century bull market.
Pharmaceutical brands
Eli Lilly is a leading global manufacturer and distributor of pharmaceutical therapies for cancer, cardiovascular disease, central nervous system, diabetic and endocrine system disorders, infectious diseases, and other diagnoses.
Prozac
Among the company's major pharmaceutical breakthroughs are cephalosporin, erythromycin, insulin, and, with Prozac® (fluoxetine), the world's first and most prominent selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor for the treatment of clinical depression. Prozac has been a breakthrough therapy, and the first such therapy in its class to treat clinical depression by stimulating the release of serotonin within the human brain. It is the best-selling anti-depressant in history and gave rise to a number of comparably-functioning therapies for the treatment of clinical depression and other central nervous system disorders. Prozac works by reorganizing the brain in broad, sweeping ways that vary from person to person.
Cialis
In 2003, Eli Lilly introduced Cialis® (tadalafil), a competitor to Pfizer's blockbuster Viagra for erectile dysfunction. Cialis was developed in a partnership with biotechnology company ICOS. Cialis maintains an active period of 36 hours, causing it sometimes to be dubbed the "weekend pill".
With its television advertisement for Cialis during the 2004 Super Bowl Halftime Show, Eli Lilly was one of several companies whose costly 2004 Super Bowl Halftime advertisement was largely overshadowed by the Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy.
Acquisition of ICOS
In October 2006, Eli Lilly announced that it was acquiring ICOS for $2.1 billion, or $32 a share.
Methadone
Eli Lilly was the first distributor of methadone, an analgesic used frequently in the treatment of heroin, opium and other opioid and narcotic drug addictions.
Thimerosal
Eli Lilly also developed the controversial vaccine preservative Thiomersal (also called Merthiolate®). Thimersosal is effectual by causing susceptible bacteria to autolyze.
Secobarbital
Eli Lilly has manufactured Secobarbital, a barbiturate derivative with anaesthetic, anticonvulsant, sedative and hypnotic properties. Lilly marketed Secobarbital under the brand name Seconal®.
Secobarbital is indicated for the treatment of epilepsy, temporary insomnia and as a pre-operative medication to produce anaesthesia and anxiolysis in short surgical, diagnostic, or therapeutic procedures which are minimally painful. With the onset of new therapies for the treatment of these conditions, Secobarbital has been less utilized, and Lilly ceased manufacturing it in 2001.
Secobarbital abuse and role in Jimi Hendrix's death
Secobarbital gained national notoriety in the late 1960s and 1970s when the drug gained popularity in the drug subculture because of its hypnotic effects. It was used illegally and often excessively, sometimes in combination with other drugs.
Commonly known as "reds" in the drug culture because of the tablet's color, Secobarbital was a source of numerous drug overdoses during this period, the most notable of which was that of rock guitarist legend Jimi Hendrix, who purportedly took nine Secobarbital tablets the night of September 18, 1970, after a night of drinking alcohol, and was later found dead in his sleep in his London apartment. The cause of Hendrix' death was labeled asphyxiation after Hendrix vomited in his sleep from the excessive Secobarbital dose and alcohol and was unable to awaken.
Secobarbital also was an underlying theme of Jacqueline Susann's novel Valley of the Dolls and the film of the same name. In the novel and film, three hugely talented young women rise to various levels of success and fame, while using Secobarbital, but they ultimately fall victim, in various ways, to the drug. One of the most successful novels of all time, it has sold over 30 million copies since its 1966 release.
Strattera and adult ADHD
In 2002, Lilly marketed a drug called Strattera®, the first non-stimulant medication approved for the treatment of Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and also the first to be specifically marketed to adults with this disorder.
Strattera has been used by more than two million patients. In 2004, Strattera grossed $632 million, or roughly 25 percent, of the $2.6 billion U.S. ADHD pharmaceutical market, and was the fastest growing medication in this market.
Strattera has received a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) black-box warning, the highest level of warning a drug can receive, as a result of studies showing a possible link between use of the drug and suicidal thoughts in children, as well as possible liver damage in adults. Lilly acknowledges that the medication has several other side effects, including pain during urination and orgasm, urinary retention, a tightening of the scrotum, mood swings, and dry mouth.
Several internet sources, including FAQ Farm, allege horror stories of people using this medication. Though Strattera was originally developed as an anti-depressant, the drug also has received FDA approval for use in the treatment of adult ADHD, which has become its more common clinical use.
Lilly owns the domain adultadd.com, which allows visitors to take a test to see if they have the alleged condition, and the company has run advertising campaigns to raise awareness of the condition. This has been controversial because there are some medical professionals who believe that ADHD is overdiagnosed and that companies like Lilly have perpetuated this with extensive television and other marketing. Some even contend that the condition does not even exist in adults, though Lilly and other medical professionals have disagreed with this position.
Other therapies
In addition to Prozac, some of Lilly's well known product trademarks include Alimta® (for mesothelioma and non-small cell lung cancer), Actos® (for Type 2 diabetes), Byetta® (for Type 2 diabetes), Cymbalta® (for pain and major depressive disorders), Darvocet® (for mild to moderate pain), Evista® (for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis), Forteo® (for osteoporosis), Gemzar® (a chemotherapy agent for lung, pancreatic and other cancers), Humalog® (for diabetes), Humatrope® (human growth hormone for pediatric growth disorders), Symbyax® (for bipolar disorder), Xigris® (for severe sepsis) and Zyprexa® (for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder).
Personnel
Eli Lilly has a global reputation for attracting global leaders in the fields of health policy, management, and scientific research. Prominent former Lilly employees include:
- Ernesto Bustamante, Peruvian scientist.
- Mitch Daniels, current Governor of Indiana and former Hudson Institute executive.
- Roald Hoffmann, Nobel Prize-winning chemist.
- Michael Johns, former White House speechwriter and Heritage Foundation policy analyst.
- Claude H Nash, CEO, ViroPharma.
- Peter Nicholas, co-founder of Boston Scientific.
- Randall L. Tobias, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, U.S. State Department.
Prominent Lilly board members have included:
- Martin Feldstein, economist, Harvard University.
- Kenneth Lay, former Enron executive (prior to the Enron scandal).
- William Verity Jr., former U.S. Secretary of Commerce.
Accolades
In 2006, Fortune magazine named Eli Lilly one of the top 100 companies in the United States for which to work. Also in 2006, Barron's Magazine named the company among the top 500 best managed companies in the U.S. The company was named one of the top 10 Best Companies for working mothers in 2004 by Working Mothers magazine.
Controversy
Eli Lilly has been known to engage in withholding and contorting internal information on medications, including Prozac, Thimerosal and Zyprexa in order to downplay side effects and adverse reactions in order to boost profits.
According to a New York Times article published on December 17, 2006,[1] Eli Lilly has engaged in a decade-long effort to play down the health risks of Zyprexa, its best-selling medication for schizophrenia, according to hundreds of internal Lilly documents and e-mail messages among top company managers. These health risks include an increased risk for diabetes through Zyprexa's links to obesity and its tendency to raise blood sugar.
Zyprexa is Lilly’s top-selling drug, with sales of $4.2 billion last year.
The documents, given to The Times by a lawyer representing mentally ill patients, show that Lilly executives kept important information from doctors about Zyprexa’s links to obesity and its tendency to raise blood sugar — both known risk factors for diabetes.
Lilly’s own published data, which it told its sales representatives to play down in conversations with doctors, has shown that 30 percent of patients taking Zyprexa gain 22 pounds or more after a year on the drug, and some patients have reported gaining 100 pounds or more. But Lilly was concerned that Zyprexa’s sales would be hurt if the company was more forthright about the fact that the drug might cause unmanageable weight gain or diabetes, according to the documents, which cover the period 1995 to 2004.
In one of the only three cases to ever go to trial for SSRI indication in suicide, Eli Lilly was caught corrupting the judicial process by making a deal with the plaintiff's attorney to throw the case, in part by not disclosing damaging evidence to the jury.
The case involved a Kentucky man on Prozac, who went to his workplace and opened fire with an assault rifle killing 8 people, and injuring 12 others before turning the gun on himself. The jury returned a 9-to-3 verdict in favor of Lilly. The judge, in the end, took the matter to the Kentucky Supreme Court, which found that "there was a serious lack of candor with the trial court and there may have been deception, bad faith conduct, abuse of judicial process and, perhaps even fraud." The judge later revoked the verdict and instead, recorded the case as settled. The value of the secret settlement deal has been reported to be over $20 million.
In its packet insert for Cymbalta (duloxetine), Lilly claims "that no suicides were committed" during trials of Cymbalta. The trials including the suicide of 19-year-old Traci Johnson, and four other unnamed patients who committed suicide during Lilly trials for duloxetine, were cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), stating that underlying depression - not the drug - caused sufferers to become suicidal. Johnson was in a Lilly trial testing duloxetine as Yentreve, a urinary stress incontinence medication, and not in an anti-depressant trial. Consequently, many critics claim that the FDA approval of duloxetine for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and diabetic neuropathy is irresponsible, and is a case illustration of the agency's failure to prevent harmful drugs for fear of harming the big profits of large pharmaceutical companies.
See also
References
1.The New York Times Dec 17 2006