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Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Contingencies Contingencies
We are involved in various lawsuits, claims, government investigations and other legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of business. These claims or proceedings can involve various types of parties, including governments, regulatory agencies, competitors, customers, suppliers, service providers, licensees, employees, or shareholders, among others. These matters may involve patent infringement, antitrust, securities, pricing, access, sales and marketing practices, environmental, commercial, contractual rights, licensing obligations, health and safety matters, consumer fraud, employment matters, product liability, insurance coverage, and regulatory compliance, among others. The resolution of these matters often develops over a long period of time and expectations can change as a result of new findings, rulings, appeals or settlement arrangements. Legal proceedings that are significant or that we believe could become significant or material are described below.
We are defending against the legal proceedings in which we are named as defendants vigorously. It is not possible to determine the final outcome of these matters, and, unless otherwise noted, we cannot reasonably estimate the maximum potential exposure or the range of possible loss in excess of amounts accrued for any of these matters; however, we believe that the resolution of all such matters will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position or liquidity, but could possibly be material to our consolidated results of operations in any one accounting period.
Litigation accruals and environmental liabilities and the related estimated insurance recoverables are reflected on a gross basis as liabilities and assets, respectively, on our consolidated balance sheets. With respect to the product liability claims currently asserted against us, we have accrued for our estimated exposures to the extent they are both probable and reasonably estimable based on the information available to us. We accrue for certain product liability claims incurred but not filed to the extent we can formulate a reasonable estimate of their costs. We estimate these expenses based primarily on historical claims experience and data regarding product usage. Legal defense costs expected to be incurred in connection with significant product liability loss contingencies are accrued when both probable and reasonably estimable.
Because of the nature of pharmaceutical products, it is possible that we could become subject to large numbers of additional product liability and related claims in the future. Due to a very restrictive market for litigation liability insurance, we are self-insured for litigation liability losses for all our currently and previously marketed products.
Patent Matters
Emgality Patent Litigation
In September 2018, Teva Pharmaceuticals International GmbH and Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. (collectively, Teva) filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts alleging that Lilly's launch and continued sales of Emgality infringed various claims in three Teva patents. In November 2022, following a trial, a jury returned a verdict in favor of Teva. In September 2023, the trial court overruled the jury verdict, found all asserted claims invalid, and entered judgment in Lilly's favor. In October 2023, Teva appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The appeal is pending.
Environmental Matters
Superfund Matters
Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, commonly known as "Superfund," we have been designated as one of several potentially responsible parties with respect to the cleanup of fewer than 10 sites. Under Superfund, each responsible party may be jointly and severally liable for the entire amount of the cleanup.
Brazil Litigation – Cosmopolis Facility
Labor Attorney Litigation
In March 2008, the state Labor Public Attorney (LPA) filed a public civil action against Eli Lilly do Brasil Limitada (Lilly Brasil) in the Labor Court of Paulinia, State of Sao Paulo, alleging harm to employees and former employees from alleged exposure to soil and groundwater contaminants at a former manufacturing facility in Cosmopolis, operated by the company between 1977 and 2003. In May 2014, the trial court ruled against Lilly Brasil, ordering it to undertake several remedial and compensatory actions, including health coverage for a class of individuals and certain of their children. The trial court's ruling included a liquidated award of 300 million Brazilian reais, which, when adjusted for inflation, is approximately 1.4 billion Brazilian reais (approximately $226 million as of December 31, 2024). In July 2018, the appeals court generally affirmed the trial court's ruling. Lilly Brasil has appealed to the superior labor court (TST).
In July 2019, at the LPA's request, the trial court ordered a freeze of Lilly Brasil's immovable property in the amount of 500 million Brazilian reais, which was reduced on Lilly Brasil's appeal and, when adjusted for inflation, is approximately 145 million Brazilian reais (approximately $23 million as of December 31, 2024). Both parties have appealed this order to the TST.
The trial court is currently assessing the status of Lilly Brasil's compliance with the obligations as to the land, and an inspection in the industrial plant occurred in October 2023.
Former Employee Litigation
Various former employees have filed related claims against Lilly Brasil in the trial court. These lawsuits are at various stages in the litigation process.
Pricing Matters
340B Litigation and Investigations
In January 2021, we filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Secretary of HHS, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Administrator of HRSA. The lawsuit challenges HHS's December 2020 advisory opinion that the 340B program requires drug manufacturers to deliver discounts to all contract pharmacies, as well as HHS's December 2020 administrative dispute resolution (ADR) regulations. It seeks a declaratory judgment that the defendants violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and the U.S. Constitution, a preliminary injunction enjoining implementation of the ADR process and application of the advisory opinion, and other related relief. In March 2021, the court preliminarily enjoined the government's use of the ADR process as to us. In May 2021, we amended the complaint to add claims related to a May 2021 letter from HRSA asserting that Lilly's contract pharmacy policy violated the 340B statute. In October 2021, the court granted in part and denied in part the parties' cross-motions for summary judgment. Both parties appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. The appeal remains pending.
We received a civil investigative subpoena in February 2021 from the Office of the Attorney General for the State of Vermont relating to the sale of pharmaceutical products to Vermont covered entities under the 340B program. We are cooperating with the subpoena.
We have been named in various ADR petitions, filed in 2021, 2023, and 2024, seeking declaratory, injunctive, and/or monetary relief related to the 340B program. In light of the preliminary injunction order described above, these petitions are being held in abeyance as to us.
In July 2021, Mosaic Health, Inc. filed a putative class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York against us, Sanofi-Aventis U.S., LLC (Sanofi), Novo Nordisk Inc. (Novo Nordisk), and AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP (AstraZeneca), alleging antitrust and unjust enrichment claims related to the defendants' 340B programs. In October 2021, an amended complaint added Central Virginia Health Services, Inc. as a plaintiff. In September 2022, the court dismissed the amended complaint for failure to state a claim but allowed the plaintiffs to move for leave to file a second amended complaint. In January 2024, the court denied the plaintiffs' motion for leave to amend and dismissed the case. In February 2024, the plaintiffs appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. The appeal remains pending.
We have multiple other challenges against HHS and related parties related to interpretations and actions under the 340B program.
Insulin Pricing Litigation
Since 2017, various plaintiffs, including consumers, states and state attorneys general, counties, municipalities, Native American tribes, school districts, wholesalers, third-party payers, and others, have filed lawsuits, including putative class actions, against us, other manufacturers, pharmacy benefit managers, and others, relating to the pricing of insulin medications, and in some cases other diabetes medications, and rebates paid by manufacturers to pharmacy benefit managers. The complaints in the various lawsuits assert a variety of claims, including among others consumer protection, unfair or deceptive trade practices, fraud, false advertising, unjust enrichment, civil conspiracy, racketeering, antitrust, and unfair competition claims. Most cases have been coordinated or consolidated for pretrial proceedings in a multidistrict litigation (MDL) pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. The lawsuits are at various stages in the litigation process.
In the first-filed case, a putative consumer class action, we and the plaintiffs reached a proposed settlement in May 2023. In January 2024, the court denied the plaintiffs' motion for class certification. We and the plaintiffs subsequently terminated our proposed settlement and stipulated that the court's ruling denying class certification applied to Lilly. The MDL court has issued various case management orders, including but not limited to orders establishing separate tracks for state attorney general claims (State AG Track), putative class actions (Class Action Track), and non-class suits by self-funded payers (Self-Funded Payer Track).
In January 2022, the Michigan attorney general filed a petition in Michigan state court seeking authorization to investigate Lilly for potential violations of the Michigan Consumer Protection Act (MCPA), along with a complaint seeking a declaratory judgment that the state has authority to investigate Lilly's sale of insulin under the MCPA. The court authorized the proposed investigation and the issuance of civil investigative subpoenas. In April 2022, however, the parties entered into a stipulation providing that the state will not issue any civil investigative subpoena to us under the MCPA until the declaratory judgment action is resolved, and in July 2022, the court dismissed the case in its entirety. In June 2023, the Michigan Court of Appeals affirmed the judgment in our favor. In August 2023, the state filed an application for leave to appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court, and oral argument was held in October 2024. The state's request for leave to appeal remains pending.
Lilly has entered into settlement agreements with two states to resolve allegations relating to insulin pricing. In particular, in February 2024, after discovery, Lilly entered into a non-monetary settlement with the Minnesota attorney general's office that resolved a lawsuit filed by Minnesota in 2018; and Lilly entered into a similar non-monetary settlement with the New York attorney general’s office in May 2023. These agreements involved no monetary payments and no admission of wrongdoing or liability.
Insulin and Other Pricing Investigations
We have been subject to various investigations and received subpoenas, civil investigative demands, information requests, interrogatories, and other inquiries from various governmental entities related to pricing issues, including the pricing and sale of insulin medications, and in some instances certain other diabetes medications, and/or calculations of average manufacturer price and best price. These include subpoenas from the Vermont attorney general office, civil investigative demands from the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, and the Colorado, Indiana, Louisiana, Oregon, Texas, and Washington attorney general offices, as well as information requests from the California, Florida, Hawaii, Mississippi, New Mexico, Nevada, and Washington D.C. attorney general offices.
To the extent the foregoing governmental entities have not filed lawsuits, we are cooperating with the various investigations, subpoenas, and inquiries.
Average Manufacturer Price Litigation
In November 2014, a relator filed a qui tam action in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against us and Takeda Pharmaceuticals America, Inc. The relator's complaint alleges that the defendants should have treated certain credits from distributors as retroactive price increases and included such increases in calculating average manufacturer prices. In August 2022, following a trial, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the relator. Lilly has appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and the appeal remains pending.
Other Matters
Actos Litigation
We, along with Takeda Chemical Industries, Ltd. and Takeda affiliates (collectively, Takeda), are named in a third party payer class action in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The plaintiffs allege that bladder cancer risk was concealed from them and claim that as a result they and a proposed class of third-party payers are entitled to recover money paid for Actos prescriptions. Our agreement with Takeda calls for Takeda to defend and indemnify us against losses and expenses with respect to U.S. litigation arising out of the manufacture, use, or sale of Actos and other related expenses in accordance with the terms of the agreement. In May 2023, the district court granted class certification. In August 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit granted our and Takeda's petition for permission to appeal the class certification order. That appeal remains pending.
Mounjaro and Trulicity Product Liability Litigation
Since August 2023, various plaintiffs have filed lawsuits against us, Novo Nordisk A/S (Novo), and other related Novo entities, alleging injuries following purported use of incretin medicines, including Mounjaro and Trulicity. The complaints assert a variety of claims and generally seek damages, medical monitoring, or other relief. Most of these lawsuits have been coordinated or consolidated for pretrial proceedings in a federal MDL pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania; cases outside the MDL include one case pending in Georgia state court, as well as a class action petition in Israel. In November 2024, the MDL plaintiffs filed a master complaint.
Branchburg Manufacturing Facility
In May 2021, we received a subpoena from the U.S. Department of Justice requesting the production of certain documents relating to our manufacturing site in Branchburg, New Jersey. We are cooperating with the subpoena.
Puerto Rico Tax Matter
In May 2013, the Municipality of Carolina in Puerto Rico (Municipality) filed a lawsuit against us alleging noncompliance with respect to a contract with the Municipality and seeking a declaratory judgment. In June 2019, the Court of First Instance (CFI) granted summary judgment in our favor, dismissing the Municipality's complaint in its entirety. In December 2020, the Puerto Rico Appellate Court (AP) reversed and remanded the case to the CFI for trial on the merits. After trial began in May 2022, the Municipality filed a motion requesting the CFI to execute an alleged judgment. The CFI denied the request, and the Municipality filed for revision at the AP, which we opposed, staying the case. The AP denied the Municipality's motion for revision. Trial resumed in October 2024.
Health Choice Alliance
In October 2019, a relator filed a qui tam lawsuit against us in Texas state court asserting claims under the Texas Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act based on allegations about certain patient support programs related to our products Humalog, Humulin, and Forteo. The lawsuit seeks to recover the value of payments by the Texas Medicaid Program for these products, as well as civil penalties and other relief. The action has been stayed since 2020.
Research Corporation Technologies, Inc.
In April 2016, Research Corporation Technologies, Inc. (RCT) filed a lawsuit against us in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona asserting damages claims for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and conversion related to processes used to manufacture certain products, including Humalog and Humulin. In October 2021, the court issued a summary judgment decision in favor of RCT on certain issues, including with respect to a disputed royalty. In July 2024, we reached a confidential agreement with RCT that requires different payments based on various litigation outcomes as determined on appeal. The settlement agreement is not an admission of liability or fault, and is subject to conditions. Pursuant to the agreement, the court entered final judgment, Lilly filed a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and Lilly made an initial payment under the agreement. Lilly's appeal remains pending. The remaining amount payable under the agreement, if any, should not have a material impact on our financial position, liquidity or results of operations.