President of Lilly Oncology Announces Resignation

John H. Johnson's successor to be announced in coming weeks

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Jan 25, 2011, 07:15 ET

INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) today announced that John H. Johnson, senior vice president and president of Lilly Oncology, has resigned effective January 28, 2011. A successor will be announced in the coming weeks.

Johnson's decision was driven by personal and family considerations.

Lilly acquired ImClone Systems in 2008, the largest acquisition in Lilly's history. ImClone broadened the Lilly Oncology portfolio and strengthened its oncology pipeline and biotech capabilities. At the time of the acquisition, Johnson was the CEO of ImClone, and he was then brought on to lead Lilly's oncology business.

"Given his previous post at ImClone, John has played a key role leading the integration efforts since Lilly's acquisition," said Lilly chairman, president and CEO John Lechleiter, Ph.D. "He has always been a champion of serving patients and has guided the Lilly Oncology pipeline to an all-time high – one of the largest clinical-stage pipelines of potential cancer medicines in the industry."

About Lilly Oncology

For more than four decades, Lilly Oncology, a division of Eli Lilly and Company, has been dedicated to delivering innovative solutions that improve the care of people living with cancer. Because no two cancer patients are alike, Lilly Oncology is committed to developing novel treatment approaches. To learn more about Lilly's commitment to cancer, please visit www.LillyOncology.com.

About Eli Lilly and Company

Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing portfolio of 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.

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SOURCE Eli Lilly and Company