Elan Corporation plc has entered into a manufacturing and supply agreement with Eli Lilly and Company under which Elan will supplement Lilly's manufacture of duloxetine hydrochloride capsules beginning in mid-2005, a company statement said.

Kelly Martin, Elan's president and CEO, said, "This agreement represents a significant milestone for Elan as it is our first large-scale manufacturing agreement with a leading pharmaceutical company."

The capsule form of duloxetine will be manufactured in Elan's Athlone, Ireland facility, a fully compliant US Food & Drug Administration/European Medicines Agency approved site. In 2003, Elan completed a US $178 million expansion of the Athlone site. The campus now houses a 138,000 square foot, current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) manufacturing facility. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Elan Corporation plc is a neuroscience-based biotechnology company that is focused on developing advanced therapies in neurology, autoimmune diseases, and severe pain.