Lobby Life Wall at Lilly's headquarters in Indianapolis.[Provided to China Daily]

"We have a tremendous opportunity to make a difference for patients in China in the categories where we compete," he said.

One of the top pharmaceutical companies worldwide, Lilly is also one of the first to carry out large scale R&D activities in China. It is also one of the first multinational drug companies outsourcing important R&D projects to China.

Lilly has had a presence in the country since the early 1990s. Now Lilly affiliates operate in several cities around the country, including Shanghai and Beijing, with about 4,000 employees.

In March 2012, Lilly announced the establishment of a Lilly China R&D Center in Shanghai, which is conducting discovery research focused on meeting the medical needs of people living with diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and cardiovascular/metabolic disorders in the region and around the world. It also opened a global IT innovations lab in Dalian, Liaoning province, in 2013. The lab provides a secure platform for Lilly to collaborate with innovative solutions partners both in China and across the globe.

"We remain focused on implementing our growth plans, which include building a new insulin cartridge-filling plant in Suzhou (Jiangsu province), a major investment that is well underway, and expanding external alliances with leading Chinese companies, including Innovent, Wuxi AppTec and others," Lechleiter said.

Lilly recently announced that it has reached a collaboration deal with Wuxi AppTec to jointly develop, manufacture and commercialize a unique, once-a-day oral agent. Discovered by Lilly, the drug can help address cardiovascular risks in patients with dyslipidemia.

Data show that an estimated 276 million patients in China are affected by dyslipidemia, and about 12 million patients need drug treatment.

"This unique collaboration is part of our 'In China, For China' strategy to leverage Lilly's leading technology and experience, and local partners' insight and expertise, to meet patient needs," he said.