Founded on May 10, 1876, in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A., by Colonel Eli Lilly, Eli Lilly and Company is one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical companies and is historically recognized for introducing the world’s first commercial insulin in 1923. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Lilly employed 50,009 people worldwide as of September 30, 2025, including 23,471 in the United States and 26,538 outside the United States. More than 11,000 employees are engaged in research and development, representing 22.8% of the workforce. Lilly markets its medicines in approximately 95 countries, conducts clinical research in more than 55 countries, and operates manufacturing sites in nine countries.
Updated 2026-03-19