Independent audit will verify company's compliance

INDIANAPOLIS, July 10, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Eli Lilly and Company
(NYSE: LLY) today announced its support of the Pharmaceutical Research and
Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) revised Code on Interactions with Healthcare
Professionals (Code). As a part of its support, Lilly will commit to act in
accordance with, or exceed, the new Code in its interactions with healthcare
professionals. Moreover, Lilly will implement periodic external verification
to ensure that the company has policies and procedures in place to foster
compliance with the Code.

Lilly's support coincides with today's announcement by PhRMA, whose Board
of Directors approved the revised Code at its June 2008 meeting. Lilly is a
member of PhRMA and played an active role in driving the Code revisions.

"Our sales representatives are a valuable resource to healthcare
professionals, informing them about the scientific advancements in medicine,"
said Robert Brown, chief marketing and operations officer for Lilly's U.S.
operations. "We believe that the meaningful Code revisions that have been
adopted will address the concerns of our various stakeholders and strengthen
the public trust in our industry."

"Lilly believes the revised Code will help to ensure that the information
exchange with healthcare providers continues to be appropriate and ethical,"
said Brown.

The new Code will set a new standard for appropriate sales and marketing
practices, while codifying many of the practices already common within the
industry. Some of the changes include, but are not limited to, the following:

-- Limits meals to modest, occasional, in-office with informational
presentations. Allows outside meals only in conjunction with speaker or peer
selling programs.

-- Promotional gifts, such as pens and notepads, will no longer be
allowed. No items can be given to healthcare providers unless they are
educational in nature such as anatomical models, textbooks or patient
self-assessment and tracking tools.

-- Establishes a public website that will identify companies who commit to
abide by the Code, provides contract information for the Chief Compliance
Officers, and publishes the status of each company's annual certification.

The new Code takes effect in January 2009, and Lilly will begin
implementing the changes in the coming months.

"Moving forward, Lilly will strive to attain even higher standards in our
interactions with healthcare professionals," said Brown. "Our marketing
representatives will continue to serve as an important connection point with
our customers -- delivering reliable information about scientific advancements
and new therapies that help healthcare professionals understand which
treatments are appropriate for their patients."

Lilly's participation in developing and supporting PhRMA's revised Code
aligns with the company's agenda to build greater public confidence through
transparency of its business. In 2004, Lilly became the first company to
voluntarily make public its clinical trials and its clinical trials data; that
information can be found at www.lillytrials.com . And last year Lilly added
another first by publicly reporting all of its educational grants and
charitable contributions and, each quarter, posting the data online at
www.lillygrantoffice.com . In May, Lilly became the first pharmaceutical
research company to support the Physicians Payments Sunshine Act. The
bipartisan bill would establish a national registry of payments to physicians
by medical device, medical supply and pharmaceutical companies.

About Lilly

Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing
portfolio of first-in-class and best-in-class pharmaceutical products by
applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from
collaborations with eminent scientific organizations. Headquartered in
Indianapolis, Ind., Lilly provides answers -- through medicines and
information -- for some of the world's most urgent medical needs. Additional
information about Lilly is available at www.lilly.com. C-LLY

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031219/LLYLOGO )

SOURCE Eli Lilly and Company

http://www.lilly.com

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