Six generations of medicines that advanced science and changed the lives of patients around the world.
1876 — 2026
Lilly's Research Network
12,187 published research papers across 20 domains. Source: PubMed.
Neuroscience & Brain
With over 3,100 papers, neuroscience is Eli Lilly's most published research domain. From early receptor pharmacology to Alzheimer's disease, decades of brain science culminated in donanemab — a treatment shown to slow Alzheimer's progression.
Oncology
Over 2,200 papers spanning cancer data analysis, immunotherapy, targeted therapies, and outcomes research. The teal cluster connects tumor biology, genomics, and precision medicine across four decades.
Immunology & Inflammation
Nearly 2,300 papers covering inflammation signaling, bone and joint health, inflammatory disease management, and autoimmune rheumatic diseases. One of the fastest-growing areas in the network.
Metabolic & Cardiovascular
Nearly 2,000 papers spanning obesity, metabolic therapies, and cardiovascular disease. This cluster saw the sharpest growth in the 2020s, driven by tirzepatide research behind Mounjaro and Zepbound.
Pharmaceutical & Biotech
Over 2,400 papers on drug development, biotech analytical methods, pharmaceutical regulation, and antibiotics. The blue cluster underpins every other domain — from molecule to medicine.
Lilly's Research Network
A co-citation map of published Lilly research. Every dot a paper, every edge a shared citation.
12,187 papers · 20 research domains · Source: PubMed
Each color is a research cluster — twenty domains grouped into five areas of science. Scroll to explore the research that shaped Eli Lilly over four decades.
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The Connection
Every cluster in that network, from diabetes to oncology to neuroscience, represents decades of research and millions of patients. Scroll through 150 years to see how each breakthrough was built on the care that came before it.
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Eli Lilly · 1876 – 2026
1876
Colonel Eli Lilly opens a small pharmacy in Indianapolis with $4,470 in first-year sales and a founding belief: medicine should be built on rigorous science first.
1923
Partnering with the University of Toronto, Lilly launches Iletin, the world's first commercially available insulin, transforming what had been a life-threatening diagnosis for millions of patients.
1940s – 1955
Lilly mass-produces 20% of all U.S. wartime penicillin. A decade later, the company manufactures 60% of Salk's polio vaccine. Infectious disease becomes a defining pillar.
1963 – 1996
Vincristine, extracted from the Madagascar periwinkle plant, becomes one of the first targeted anticancer drugs. Decades later, Gemzar extends the fight to pancreatic and lung cancer.
1982 – 1988
Humulin becomes the first medicine ever made with recombinant DNA, a breakthrough born from the diabetes cluster. Six years later, Prozac transforms psychiatry worldwide. Two clusters light up in the same decade.
2004 – 2019
Cymbalta brings relief to millions living with depression and anxiety. Exenatide pioneers the GLP-1 class that will later power Mounjaro and Zepbound. The acquisition of Loxo Oncology brings a precision cancer platform focused on matching therapy to tumor biology at the molecular level.
2022 – 2026
Mounjaro and Zepbound redefine diabetes and obesity care. Kisunla opens a new chapter in Alzheimer's treatment. Lilly becomes the first healthcare company in history to reach $1 trillion in market capitalization. Every thread connects.
Eli Lilly · 1876 – 2026
Legend
Impact by Cluster · 1876 — 2026
What Comes Next
With Mounjaro and Zepbound reshaping metabolic medicine, Kisunla opening a new chapter in Alzheimer's care, and a pipeline spanning oncology, immunology, and neuroscience, Lilly's next generation of discovery is already underway.
Groundbreaking Achievements
1923 — 2024
1923
Iletin brought hope to millions living with diabetes, born from a landmark partnership with the University of Toronto.
1940s
Lilly produced roughly 20% of the entire U.S. wartime penicillin supply, putting medicine on the front line.
1955
Manufactured the majority of Salk's historic polio vaccine, helping end one of the 20th century's most feared epidemics.
1982
Humulin was the first medicine ever made using genetic engineering, opening the door to modern biotechnology.
2005
Exenatide pioneered the drug class that now powers Mounjaro and Zepbound, reshaping diabetes and obesity care.
2024
Lilly became the first healthcare company in history to reach a $1 trillion market capitalization.