Eli Lilly and Company committed $500 million to South Korea’s pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector over the next five years. The company formalized this investment through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed with the Ministry of Health and Welfare on March 9, 2026.
The strategic cooperation aims to strengthen local research and development capabilities and increase global competitiveness. Eli Lilly will establish Lilly Gateway Labs, a global bio venture incubation platform, to facilitate open innovation with domestic biotech firms. The initiative also focuses on expanding the volume of global clinical trials conducted within South Korea.
This commitment follows a similar investment pledge made by Swiss drugmaker Roche during the previous week. Eli Lilly and the Ministry of Health and Welfare will form a joint working-level body to manage the implementation of these initiatives.