In a speech to employees in early 1946, then-president Mr. Eli Lilly, grandson of the company founder, gave very clear guidance when he said, “Research is the heart of the business, the soul of the enterprise.”
It’s true. The needs of our community drive the development of new medicines, and the development of these new medicines is only possible through the help and involvement of our community. Clinical research is where we all work together in earnest to push progress forward.
“Research is the heart of the business, the soul of the enterprise.”
© Copyright Eli Lilly and Company. All Rights Reserved. Photo courtesy of Eli Lilly and Company Archives.
We have built upon that guidance across our 140+ - year history and continue to evolve as the science and practice of clinical research lead us. Why? Because the needs of our patients evolve with time, too.
From a scientific perspective, we have long been focused in the areas of diabetes, neuroscience and oncology. In more recent years, the science of our research has led us to explore the areas of neurodegeneration, immunology and chronic pain. Looking to the future, the era of precision medicine may open up even more possibilities. You can see a list of clinical trials in our current areas of research here.
The history of clinical research has moved from the first controlled trial (which we celebrate on May 20th each year as International Clinical Trials Day, #ICTD), to increased patient protections through measures like ethical review boards and informed consent, to partnering with patients on research. The future of clinical research operations will likely include use of new technologies in digital health and increased partnership among all in the clinical research community: scientists, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, technicians, patients, caregivers. You can see a compilation of key milestones in the history of clinical research here.
We are proud of what we have accomplished in clinical research and are committed to making it better, because we, like you, are in it—heart and soul.