14. Eli Lilly  $11.8B ▼22.8%

Global revenue: $19.9B (12th); down 13.5%
Top brands: Humalog ($1.7B); Humalog KwikPen ($1.4B); Cialis ($1.4B); Humulin ($713M); Forteo ($539M)
Promotional spend: $824M (8th); 7.0% of rev.
R&D spend: $4.7B (8th); down 14.4%; 23.6% of rev.
Planned launches: ixekizumab (RA); Lantus biosimilar (diab.); Peglispro (diab.)
Patent expirations:  Cialis (2017); Effient (2017); Strattera (2017); Forteo (2018)

Eli Lilly had a rough 2014. But while the Indiana drugmaker lowered expectations for 2015, market sentiment is that it is poised for some potential long-term payoffs. This includes pitting its Lantus biosimilar against Sanofi’s branded diabetes biologic and carving out a distinct spot in the PCSK9 cardiovascular space with products that work differently from those offered by competitors Amgen and Sanofi. And Lilly is primed to take advantage of renewed interest in its experimental CTEP inhibitor evacetrapib, which one market watcher says may have an advantage over Merck’s anacetrapib. The company has maintained its focus on Alzheimer’s and continues to stand by its experimental treatment solanezumab. While questions about liver toxicity may eventually push aside diabetes drug Peglispro, analysts actually seem to be rooting for its disappearance. Lilly would then be free to focus its energy on its Lantus biosimilar.

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