Publications

December 1991
Teaching Note

Eli Lilly and Co.: European Pharmaceutical Operations, Teaching Note

By: Francis Aguilar

May 1987
Teaching Note

Eli Lilly and Co. (A) and (B), Teaching Note

By: William J. Bruns Jr.

Keywords: Pharmaceutical Industry

March 1997
Teaching Note

Eli Lilly and Company: Innovation in Diabetes Care TN

By: Clayton M. Christensen and Bret J. Baird

Teaching Note for (9-696-077). View Details

Keywords: Pharmaceutical Industry

January 1989
Case

Eli Lilly and Co.: The Beginning of a Journey in Manufacturing

By: Steven C. Wheelwright

Keywords: Pharmaceutical Industry

Find at Harvard

August 1995
Teaching Note

Eli Lilly and Company: The Flexible Facility Decision (1993) TN

By: Gary P. Pisano

Teaching Note for (9-694-074). View Details

Keywords: Pharmaceutical Industry

May 1992 (Revised November 1994)
Teaching Note

Eli Lilly and Co.: Manufacturing Process Technology Strategy--1991, Teaching Note

By: Gary P. Pisano

Teaching Note for (9-692-056). View Details

Keywords: Manufacturing Industry

August 2017
Teaching Note

Transformation at Eli Lilly & Co. (A), (B), & (C)

By: William R. Kerr and Alexis Brownell

Teaching Note for HBS Nos. 817-070, 817-136, and 817-137. View Details

February 1998 (Revised March 2003)
Teaching Note

Eli Lilly and Company: Drug Development Strategy (A) and (B) TN

By: Stefan H. Thomke and Ashok Nimgade

Teaching Note for (9-698-010) and (9-698-026). View Details

May 1989
Teaching Note

Eli Lilly and Co.: The Beginning of a Journey in Manufacturing, Teaching Note

By: Steven C. Wheelwright

June 1999 (Revised October 1999)
Case

Eli Lilly, 1998 (B): Emerging Global Organization

By: Michael Y. Yoshino and Thomas W. Malnight

Examines major issues faced by Eli Lilly as it evaluates the appropriateness of a focused matrix organization with extensive use of cross-functional teams. View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Geography; Globalized Firms and Management; Growth and Development; Knowledge; Management Teams; Product; Organizations; Pharmaceutical Industry

November 2006 (Revised May 2025)
Case

Eli Lilly: Developing Cymbalta

By: Elie Ofek and Ron Laufer

Anticipating the expiration of its Prozac patent, Eli Lilly has to make tough decisions regarding the development of its next-generation antidepressant drug. In particular, the company needs to decide whether to first establish that once-a-day dosing for Cymbalta... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Marketing Strategy; Product Launch; Product Development; Research and Development; Pharmaceutical Industry

March 1999 (Revised June 2000)
Case

Eli Lilly: The Evista Project

By: Steven C. Wheelwright and Matt Verlinden

Describes the creation and operation of the initial two heavyweight teams for new drug development and launch. The primary focus is on one of the teams, Evista, although comparisons to the other team, Zyprexa, are included. Lilly must decide the next phase (postlaunch)... View Details

Keywords: Projects; Groups and Teams; Operations; Management Teams; Product Development; Transition; Product Design; Business Startups; Business Plan; Product Launch; Competition; Service Operations; Pharmaceutical Industry

May 2002 (Revised October 2005)
Case

Marketing Antidepressants: Prozac and Paxil

By: Youngme E. Moon and Kerry Herman

Describes the marketing of Prozac and Paxil, two of the best-selling mental health drugs in history. Set in 2001, several months before the expiration of Prozac's patent, Eli Lilly (Prozac's manufacturer) and GlaxoSmithKline (Paxil's manufacturer) must decide how to... View Details

Keywords: Patents; Product Positioning; Competition; Ethics; Value; Health Care and Treatment; Brands and Branding; Pharmaceutical Industry; United States

March 1992 (Revised March 1995)
Case

Kevin Simpson

By: Linda A. Hill

Follows Kevin Simpson, a second-year Harvard Business School 1990 student, through his job search to his final decision between two very attractive but different job offers: a job as an international marketing manager at Eli Lilly and Co., a leading multinational... View Details

Keywords: Job Offer; Race; Job Search; Decision Choices and Conditions; Decision Making

January 2009 (Revised July 2009)
Case

Targanta Therapeutics: Hitting a Moving Target

By: Arthur A. Daemmrich

This case explores regulatory, product testing, and business strategy at Targanta Therapeutics, a biotech company preparing its first new drug application to the FDA. In October 2007, Mark Leuchtenberger, president and CEO of Targanta—which has just held a successful... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Entrepreneurship; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Health Testing and Trials; Product Development; Business and Government Relations; Business Strategy; Biotechnology Industry; Pharmaceutical Industry

October 2004 (Revised July 2010)
Case

Product Team Cialis: Getting Ready to Market

By: Elie Ofek

Lilly and ICOS are preparing for the launch of a new drug, Cialis, to compete against Viagra. To position against the incumbent firm Pfizer, which developed and markets Viagra, and other newcomers into the erectile dysfunction market, they must determine how best to... View Details

Keywords: Communication Strategy; Marketing Strategy; Product Launch; Product Positioning; Competition; Competitive Advantage; Segmentation; Pharmaceutical Industry

September 2012 (Revised November 2014)
Case

Cialis Lifecycle Management: Lilly's BPH Dilemma

By: Elie Ofek and Natalie Kindred

How should Eli Lilly further develop and market a new indication of its highly successful erectile-dysfunction (ED) drug, Cialis, without confusing Cialis's hard-won brand equity with physicians and patients? With the final stages of clinical trials for the new... View Details

Keywords: Product Positioning; Attitudes; Brands and Branding; Pharmaceutical Industry; United States