INDIANAPOLIS,?March 18, 2020?/PRNewswire/ --?Eli Lilly and Company(NYSE:LLY) announced today its scientists are partnering with the?Indiana State Department of Health?(ISDH), with support from the?Food and Drug Administration?(FDA), to accelerate testing in?Indiana?for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. "Lilly?is bringing the full force of our scientific and medical expertise to attack the coronavirus pandemic around the world," said?David A. Ricks,?Lilly's chairman and chief executive officer. "For more than 140 years?Lilly?has played a leading role in solving problems in our?Indiana?home. Today we are marshalling our people and our assets to confront and defeat the novel coronavirus in our state." Lilly?will use its specialized research laboratories to analyze samples taken in?Indiana?healthcare facilities, including nursing homes and emergency rooms. Assuming the company can continuously access required diagnostic reagents, this should start to expand the state's ability to conduct testing and receive a timely diagnosis of individuals who suspect they may be carrying the virus. As?Lilly's testing capacity expands,?Lillyand ISDH will work together to maximize the impact of broader testing. "As the global COVID-19 pandemic has intensified,?Lilly?has redirected efforts to help solve critical issues ? including potential therapeutics, diagnostics and testing," said?Daniel Skovronsky, M.D., Ph.D.,?Lilly's chief scientific officer and president of?Lilly Research Laboratories. "Lilly's scientists have been working day and night for several weeks to implement and validate this testing approach, and access or produce the chemical reagents that are in short supply across the country.?Lilly's lab meets the required certifications to conduct testing, and we're optimistic in our ability to help accelerate testing." "At the?State Department of Health, we started partnering with?Lilly?from the early stages to tap into the capabilities of this innovative?Indiana?company," said Dr.?Kris Box,?Indiana State Health?Commissioner. "We know the magnitude of the impact that advances by?Lilly?can have on how we diagnose and treat Hoosiers and people worldwide, and we're grateful for?Lilly's commitment to help accelerate solutions." In addition,?Lilly?is piloting drive through testing that may eventually be able to test patients outside of a healthcare facility to avoid spread of the virus. The company hopes to have additional details in the coming days. Lilly?will not accept money from government agencies, hospitals, insurance companies or patients for conducting or analyzing tests. "This is one contribution we can make to help slow the spread of coronavirus in our community, and this testing will be entirely free," Ricks said. About?Eli Lilly and Company Lilly?is a global health care leader that unites caring with discovery to create medicines that make life better for people around the world. We were founded more than a century ago by a man committed to creating high-quality medicines that meet real needs, and today we remain true to that mission in all our work. Across the globe,?Lilly?employees work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. To learn more about?Lilly, please visit us at?lilly.com?and?lilly.com/newsroom. C-LLY This release contains forward-looking statements regarding?Lilly's efforts in regard to the novel coronavirus. These statements are based on management's current expectations,?but actual results may differ materially. Other risk factors that may affect the company's results can be found in the company's latest Forms 10-K and 10-Q filed with the?U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.?Lilly undertakes no duty to update forward-looking statements.

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SOURCE?Eli Lilly and Company