Pharmaceutical giant's R&D looks to leverage its leading technology and experience with local partners' insight and expertise

The US-based global pharmaceutical Eli Lilly and Co has vowed to launch more new drugs in the coming years through intensified investment in research and development and consistent innovation.

In 2015, Lilly saw revenue grow after experiencing a hard time after 2009 when the patents of several of its blockbuster drugs expired. Its total revenue last year was $19.96 billion, a 2 percent growth year-on-year.

John Lechleiter, CEO of Lilly, attributed the revenue growth to the company's investment in R&D in recent years, and he disclosed that more new products are expected to launch in the coming years.

"The 2015 results reinforce our confidence in the future, as we anticipate regulatory approvals for a number of new medicines, and we have promising clinical trial data for potential new medicines in development," Lechleiter said.

Innovative drugs

Lechleiter noted that the company is targeting continuous revenue growth in 2016, while sustaining a flow of innovative medicines through its pipeline.

Lilly's businesses focus on diabetes, cancers and biomedicines, including immunology, neurodegeneration and pain. So far, the company has already launched a complete portfolio of diabetes medicines, with a series of launches beginning in 2014.

According to the company, it is currently in the late-stage development of a potential treatment for severe hypoglycemia. Phase III testing of the ultra-rapid insulin is expected to start later this year.

Health figures showed that in China there are more than 100 million people living with Type II diabetes, and better care is urgently needed for this group of patients.

Lilly also plans to launch four new molecular entities for cancers within five years.

The company has already launched Cyramza for a number of diseases, including gastric cancer, in markets around the world, and Portrazza in the US for squamous non-small cell lung cancer.

In biomedicines, Lilly anticipates five new launches in the next five years, with the intention that each of them will be the best or first in its class, including some that modify the course of a disease, on top of improving the standard of care, Lechleiter said.

Regulatory reviews and new launches are planned in immunology and neurodegenerative diseases, including new drugs to treat psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis, and two candidates for painkillers.

Making a difference

Despite China's slowed growth in recent years, Lechleiter expressed his confidence in the Chinese market.

"With the country's healthcare reform, more Chinese people are seeking better healthcare as the government provides additional coverage and provides subsidies for the population. That's good news for companies like Lilly, as more patients have access to our medicines," Lechleiter said.

"We have a tremendous opportunity to make a difference for patients in China in the categories where we compete," he said.

One of the top pharmaceutical companies worldwide, Lilly is also one of the first to carry out large scale R&D activities in China. It is also one of the first multinational drug companies outsourcing important R&D projects to China.

Lilly has had a presence in the country since the early 1990s. Now Lilly affiliates operate in several cities around the country, including Shanghai and Beijing, with about 4,000 employees.

In March 2012, Lilly announced the establishment of a Lilly China R&D Center in Shanghai, which is conducting discovery research focused on meeting the medical needs of people living with diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and cardiovascular/metabolic disorders in the region and around the world. It also opened a global IT innovations lab in Dalian, Liaoning province, in 2013. The lab provides a secure platform for Lilly to collaborate with innovative solutions partners both in China and across the globe.

"We remain focused on implementing our growth plans, which include building a new insulin cartridge-filling plant in Suzhou (Jiangsu province), a major investment that is well underway, and expanding external alliances with leading Chinese companies, including Innovent, Wuxi AppTec and others," Lechleiter said.

Lilly recently announced that it has reached a collaboration deal with Wuxi AppTec to jointly develop, manufacture and commercialize a unique, once-a-day oral agent. Discovered by Lilly, the drug can help address cardiovascular risks in patients with dyslipidemia.

Data show that an estimated 276 million patients in China are affected by dyslipidemia, and about 12 million patients need drug treatment.

"This unique collaboration is part of our 'In China, For China' strategy to leverage Lilly's leading technology and experience, and local partners' insight and expertise, to meet patient needs," he said.

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(China Daily 03/19/2016 page7)