Why is Eli Lilly considered controversial?
The world's best-selling insulin Humalog rose from $21 in 1999 to $274 in 2017; Lilly pleaded guilty over Zyprexa and lost a Medicaid fraud verdict now exceeding $220 million; and its GLP-1 dominance has generated false advertising and price litigation.
Lilly is one of three companies, alongside Novo Nordisk and Sanofi, that supply more than 90% of the world's insulin, and it has been sued repeatedly for allegedly inflating insulin prices in concert with pharmacy benefit managers. Its best-known insulin, Humalog, cost $21 in 1999 and $274 in 2017. Lilly also lost a whistleblower case alleging it underpaid Medicaid rebates, a judgment now exceeding $220 million after the Supreme Court declined to hear its appeal.
Earlier, in 2009, it paid $1.415 billion and pleaded guilty over off-label promotion of Zyprexa. Today, its GLP-1 medicines Mounjaro and Zepbound put it at the centre of fights over price, compounding and advertising. Lilly has cut insulin list prices sharply since 2023 and argues the system's rebate structure, not manufacturers, drove costs for patients.