BioCentury
ARTICLE | Product Development

Lilly prioritizes neuroscience, immunology with separate business units

Lilly reorganizes business units as neuroscience draws more attention across the industry

August 18, 2021 1:14 AM UTC

A reorganization by Lilly applies the same disease-focused R&D and commercial structure to neurology and immunology that the pharma has implemented for oncology and diabetes by splitting the Lilly Bio-Medicines unit in two, by disease area. The change comes after the departure of Josh Bilenker, CEO of Lilly’s Loxo Oncology unit, and ahead of a fast-approaching goal to seek accelerated approval of the pharma’s Alzheimer’s therapy.

With the reorganization, Eli Lilly and Co. (NYSE:LLY) will unite its two cancer units under Bilenker’s successor, Jacob van Naarden. And Lilly BioMedicine’s pain and neuroscience programs will fall under Lilly Neuroscience, while its dermatology, gastroenterology and rheumatology programs become Lilly Immunology. ...