In a University of Toronto research laboratory, in 1922, two Canadian scientists made a discovery that changed medical science. And Eli Lilly and Company was there. Over the next several years, Lilly worked with Drs. Banting and Best to bring the life-saving miracle of insulin to the world. It was Lilly’s first involvement with Canadian health care, but it provided only the merest hint of a bright future of innovation and excellence.

For over half a century now, Eli Lilly Canada has been a leader in Canadian health care. From the establishment of its first small operation, in 1938, Lilly Canada has been committed to turning research into medicine. Today it is one of the top research-based pharmaceutical companies in the country, producing prescription medicines for Canadians from its Scarborough, Ontario, facility.
 

1. Eli Lilly and Co. worked with Banting and Best to bring the miracle of insulin to the world. 2. Today's Eli Lilly Canada is built upon its skilled employees, innovation, and advanced technology.

Each decade has brought new growth and innovation to Lilly. The 1950s saw the introduction of Salk Poliomyelitis, the first commercially available polio vaccine. In the 1960s, Lilly launched the first in a new class of antibiotics, called cephalosporins. During that same period, the company expanded into the sphere of veterinary medicine, with the Elanco Animal Health division. The diversification continued into the 1970s, as Lilly entered the medical devices and diagnostics field.

In the 1980s, Eli Lilly Canada moved to the forefront of the Canadian pharmaceutical industry, with the launches of several key products. These included human insulin, the world’s first product of recombinant DNA, along with advanced antibiotics, and innovative new treatments for growth deficiency, ulcers and depression. And to ensure that the future holds just as much promise, scientists at the Lilly Analytical Research Laboratory continue to evaluate and test new medicines, seeking cures to infectious diseases, cancer, cardiovascular conditions, central nervous system disorders and endocrine diseases.

As an industry leader, Lilly has always been committed to turning out products of the highest quality and focusing on customer satisfaction. That approach to business was recognized in early 1993 when Eli Lilly Canada was cited as having achieved the criteria for “Class A” Manufacturing status, a level of excellence attained by fewer than two percent of North American companies. Moreover, since quality improvement must be ongoing, in 1993 Lilly also launched its Prescription for Quality process, designed to streamline the work of every employee and enhance the satisfaction of every customer.

Eli Lilly Canada recognizes that business has both an opportunity and a responsibility to be a constructive force within the community. The company is proud of its long commitment to good corporate citizenship, and its support of a number of local and national charitable initiatives.

For five years in a row, Lilly has received the United Way Platinum Award for achieving over 90 percent employee participation in the annual fundraising campaign. The company provides significant assistance to the Children’s Aid Society, and Junior Achievement, and funds scholarships and co-op placements with Centennial College in Scarborough. Furthermore, Eli Lilly Canada is proud to sponsor several fellowships in medical science, and to provide funding for a number of Canadian researchers and research institutions.

A leader in business, and a leader in the community, Lilly is built upon a rare and special combination of committed employees, innovation, and state of the art technology. With lessons learned over its half-century history, Eli Lilly Canada is taking ever-greater strides in the effort to turn science into solutions.