Unintentional Intolerance

Steve Robbins (pictured) will discuss "Unintentional Intolerance: What Nice People Need to Know" during a 3 p.m. event 17 November in 93 Auditorium at Eli Lilly and Company's corporate headquarters in Indianapolis.

Dr. Robbins, a diversity expert, notes that "cognitive flexibility and behavioral adaptability are necessary for navigating a 21st century world". A reception follows his presentation.

The event is sponsored by Lilly India Network, Eli Lilly Asian Network, Chinese Culture Network at Lilly, Middle Eastern Network at Lilly and the Asian-American Alliance of Indiana. For reservations, please send an email; deadline is 8 November.

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Lilly to Close Singapore Center

Eli Lilly and Company is closing a facility in Singapore, impacting approximately 130 employees, reports Inside INdiana Business The pharmaceutical manufacturer says some of the projects and capabilities will be shifted to Indianapolis.

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Lilly to Unveil Several Studies in Canada

According to Inside INdiana Business, Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Company will present 14 studies involving its osteoporosis medications at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research annual meeting, which begins today in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The drugmaker will share data about Forteo and Evista.

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Lilly's Transfer of Technology to South African Company

Eli Lilly & Company has announced the US$1 million milestone payment to Aspen, a pharmaceutical manufacturer, as part of the joint collaboration on expanding access to medicines to treat multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), according to Aspen Pharma.

The milestone is part of a Transfer of Technology agreement between Aspen and Lilly, initiated in 2003 under the umbrella of the Lilly MDR-TB Partnership, a global project to tackle the growing MDR-TB epidemic. Aspen is based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The collaboration involved the transfer of Lilly’s drug manufacturing and packaging technology to enable Aspen to manufacture two essential anti-TB drugs. Lilly provided manufacturing know-how, access to technical experts, and other assistance to assure the quality and sustainability of the manufacturing processes.

The partnership with Aspen represents one of four similar partnerships Lilly holds with pharmaceutical manufacturers based in high burden countries where MDR-TB is most prevalent. These additional partnerships are between Lilly and SIA International (Russia), Shasun Chemicals and Drugs (India), and Hisun Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd (China).

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Purdue, Lilly Partner For Russian Pharmaceutical Training

Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Company and a Purdue Research Park firm were part of a partnership that provided training to the Russian agency that is equivalent to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, reports Inside INdiana Business. Lilly and the Chao Center for Industrial Pharmacy & Contract Manufacturing conducted sessions with health policy-makers from Rozdravnadzor, which is the inspection agency for medicines and medical supplies within Russia's Ministry of Healthcare and Social Development. Russian officials are also expected to participate in training at manufacturing simulation facilities in Indiana.

Eli Lilly and Company’s Global Day of Service is 20 May

Eli Lilly and Company’s Global Day of Service, one of the largest corporate volunteer initiatives to take place in a single day, will celebrate its second year Wednesday (20 May).

This is a day-long event in which Lilly employees around the globe unite with one common cause: to improve the communities in which they live and work. A complete list of Indianapolis projects is available online.

Some 9,500 Central Indiana Lilly employees, in partnership with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful Inc., and more than 60 organizations including INDOT, Indy Parks, United Way of Central Indiana, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Indianapolis, Indianapolis Public Schools, Boy Scouts of America and others, will work one of two, four-hour shifts from 8 a.m.-Noon and 1-5 p.m.

In addition to Indianapolis, more than 30 Lilly site locations from New Zealand to California are participating in the Global Day of Service.

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Europe Approves Lilly's Blood Thinner Drug

The European Commission has given Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly & Co. and its Japanese partner Daiichi Sankyo Co. permission to market their blood thinning drug Prasugrel, reports Inside INdiana Business.

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Lilly to Develop Treatments With Danish Company

Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. is partnering with Danish biotech firm NeuroSearch to develop medicines for treating central nervous system disorders, reports Inside INdiana Business.

Under the three-year deal NeuroSearch could receive as much as $30 million in initial payments and research funding and up to $320 million in milestone fees for each product developed and commercialized.

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New Lilly President Hails from Peru

Eli Lilly and Co.'s United States subsidiary has named Enrique Conterno president, replacing Deirdre Connelly, who resigned.

Conterno, who has been senior vice president of health care professional markets for Lilly in the U.S., is a native of Peru. Conterno has worked at Lilly since 1992.

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Year of the Ox Celebrated at Clowes in Indy

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Lilly's Forsteo Approved by European Commission

Eli Lilly and Company announced today that the European Commission has approved a new indication for FORSTEO(R) (teriparatide [rDNA origin] injection) for the treatment of osteoporosis associated with sustained, systemic glucocorticoid therapy in women and men at increased risk for fracture. Teriparatide stimulates new bone formation by increasing the number and action of bone-building cells called osteoblasts.

Another Canadian Link for Indy

According to Inside INdiana Business, Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. has reached a licensing and collaboration agreement with Transition Therapeutics Inc. The Canadian company specializes in an emerging class of potential disease-modifying therapies for diabetes patients. The agreement gives Lilly exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize the therapies.

International Education Summit in Indy

The Indiana Department of Education and Eli Lilly and Company will host the state’s first-ever international education summit Friday (1 February) at the Eli Lilly and Company Corporate Center in Indianapolis. More than 250 education, business, government and community leaders from across the globe are coming together at the summit, held from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., in an effort to position Indiana as a leader in educating a globally-aware and economically competitive workforce. Goals of the summit include raising awareness of the importance of international education, highlighting its current status in Indiana schools and teacher education programs, promoting best practices, providing expanded opportunities for collaboration and encouraging public and private investment to increase access to international content in Indiana schools. For information, contact Jason Bearce, 317:232-6618, or Lynelle A. Miller, 317:232-6614.

Lilly Part of UK Government Probe

A United Kingdom government probe into whether GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca Plc, and Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly & Co. bribed the administration of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein may expand to other companies, the Serious Fraud Office said, according to a report by Bloomberg.

Lilly's latest investment in China

BioVeda China today announced a $10 Million investment from Lilly Asian Ventures, reports Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News.

BioVeda China, headquartered in Shanghai, is the first international venture capital fund focusing on life sciences investments in China. The investment has shown Lilly's commitment to expand its economic footprint in the fast growing life science industry in China.

BioVeda China helps to create and build future industry leaders, and transform Chinese companies into the next generation multinationals. BioVeda China will use funds provided by Lilly Asian Ventures along with other investors to invest in local Chinese life sciences companies.

Lilly Asian Ventures is a newly established spin-off of Lilly Ventures, one of the top venture capital organizations in the health care industry. Lilly Ventures identifies developing enterprises that have promising new technologies but need the funding and support of experienced investors to be successful.

Enzastaurin gets orphan status from European Medicines Agency

Eli Lilly and Company announced yesterday that the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has granted enzastaurin, an investigational, multi-targeted, oral, cancer agent, orphan drug designation for the treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Although rare, DLBCL is the most common sub-type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) of which approximately 50% of high-risk patients (high-risk is defined as having an International Prognostic Index score of 3-5) relapse within three years after receiving first line therapy.

Orphan medicinal products are for diagnosing, preventing or treating life- threatening or very serious conditions that are rare and affect not more than 5 in 10,000 persons in the European Union.

World TB Day is 24 March

Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Company announced plans to invest an additional $50 million in an innovative, global partnership to fight Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB). The announcement is being made in conjunction with World TB Day activities.

The Lilly MDR-TB Partnership is an international alliance of 14 public and private organizations, including businesses, humanitarian organizations, academic institutions, and professional health care associations.

For more on World TB Day, 24 March, click here.

Lilly's Global Sales Force to Reorganize

The Indianapolis Business Journal reports that Eli Lilly & Co. Chief Executive Sidney Taurel told CNBC this morning the Indianapolis-based drug company has no plans to slash its global sales force.

Taurel said there has been “some reduction, some reorganization” in Lilly’s sales force, but added, “we don’t see major decreases.”

The IBJ Daily Report adds that Pfizer, the world’s largest drugmaker, said recently it would cut 20 percent of its U.S. and European sales forces.