Drug firm headquartered in Hoosier state for 145 years that employs 10,000 says it has been ‘forced to plan for more employment growth outside our home state’

  • Indiana-based pharma giant Eli Lilly employs more than 10,000 people and is known for producing drugs such as Prozac
  • On Saturday, the company said in a statement that they will ‘be forced to plan for more employment growth’ outside of the Hoosier state
  • The press release came in response to Gov. Eric Holcomb signing a near-total ban on abortion in the state into law on Friday
  • In July, the company did not comment on the impending abortion ban on the state and was not one of the signatories to an ACLU letter to the state legislature
  • Eli Lilly has said that they will honor their current commitments in Indiana including a $2.1 billion investment in a manufacturing plant that will employ 500 

Eli Lilly and Company, which employs more than 10,000 people in the Hoosier state, says it’ll ‘be forced to plan for more employment growth outside of our home state.’

The Indiana-based pharmaceutical giant made the revelation in a statement on Saturday following the passing of a near-total ban on abortion in the state. Eli Lilly is the manufacturer of drugs such as Prozac and Cymbalta.

On Friday, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed Senate Bill 1 into law making his state the first to institute an abortion ban since the Supreme Court‘s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

The ban, which comes into effect on September 15, allows for abortions in the case of rape, incest, if the mother’s life is in danger or if ‘the fetus is diagnosed with a lethal fetal anomaly.’

Eli Lilly’s headquarters are located in Indianapolis.

‘Lilly recognizes that abortion is a divisive and deeply personal issue with no clear consensus among the citizens of Indiana,’ according to a press release.

‘Despite this lack of agreement, Indiana has opted to quickly adopt one of the most restrictive anti-abortion laws in the United States.’

The company argued that the new ban will hinder their attempts to bring in ‘diverse scientific, engineering and business talent from around the world.’

‘While we have expanded our employee health plan coverage to include travel for reproductive services unavailable locally, that may not be enough for some current and potential employees,’ Eli Lilly said in a statement.

‘As a global company headquartered in Indianapolis for more than 145 years, we work hard to retain and attract thousands of people who are important drivers of our state’s economy.

‘Given this new law, we will be forced to plan for more employment growth outside our home state.’

There are more than 37,000 Eli Lilly employees worldwide. In the second quarter, the company recorded revenues of $6.5 billion. Eli Lilly has a market capitalization of $292 billion.

Following Saturday’s statement, Politico’s Adam Wren tweeted: ‘Lilly consistently declined to comment on the legislation until the bill was signed.’

In July, WTHR reported that Eli Lilly refused to comment publicly on the possibility of an abortion ban being passed in the state. The specific question was regarding whether or not the ban would impact their ability to attract new staff.