SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    Form 8-K


                                 CURRENT REPORT


                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934




Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) January 10, 1996




                              Eli Lilly and Company
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



        Indiana                     1-6351                      35-0470950
(State or other jurisdic-        (Commission                  (IRS Employer
 tion of incorporation)          File Number)               Identification No.)



  Lilly Corporate Center, Indianapolis, Indiana                   46285
    (Address of principal executive offices)                    (Zip Code)



Registrant's telephone number, including area code (317) 276-2000



                                    No Change

          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)










Item 7.           Financial Statements and Exhibits.

Exhibit
Number                                      Exhibit

  (1)                      Form of Underwriting Agreement, dated as of
                           January 5, 1996, among Eli Lilly and Company
                           and Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated,
                           Goldman, Sachs & Co. and J.P. Morgan
                           Securities Inc. relating to the issuance and
                           sale by Eli Lilly and Company of $200,000,000
                           aggregate principal amount of its 6.57% Notes
                           Due 2016 and $300,000,000 aggregate principal
                           amount of its 6.77% Notes Due 2036.

  (4.1)                    Form of 6.57% Note Due 2016 (Book-Entry) was filed
                           with the Commission as Exhibit 1.1 to registration
                           statement on Form 8-A on January 10, 1996 and is
                           incorporated herein by this reference.

  (4.2)                    Form of 6.77% Note Due 2036 (Book-Entry) was filed
                           with the Commission as Exhibit 1.2 to registration
                           statement on Form 8-A on January 10, 1996 and is
                           incorporated herein by this reference.

  (24)                     Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.





                                        2










                                   SIGNATURES


                  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by
the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                                     ELI LILLY AND COMPANY
                                         (Registrant)




                                     By: /s/ Edwin Miller
                                         Edwin W. Miller
                                         Vice President and
                                         Treasurer



Dated:  January 12, 1996.
                                                       3










                                  Exhibit Index

Exhibit Description Number of Exhibit Page (1) Form of Underwriting Agreement, dated as of January 5, 1996 among Eli Lilly and Company and Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, Goldman, Sachs & Co., and J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. relating to the issuance and sale by Eli Lilly and Company of $200,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 6.57% Notes Due 2016 and $300,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 6.77% Notes Due 2036. (4.1) Form of 6.57% Note Due 2016 (Book-Entry) was filed with the Commission as Exhibit 1.1 to registration statement on Form 8-A on January 10, 1996 and is incorporated herein by this reference. (4.2) Form of 6.77% Note Due 2036 (Book-Entry) was filed with the Commission as Exhibit 1.2 to registration statement on Form 8-A on January 10, 1996 and is incorporated herein by this reference. (24) Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.
4



                             UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT



                                                                 January 5, 1996

ELI LILLY AND COMPANY
Lilly Corporate Center
Indianapolis, Indiana 46285

Dear Sirs:


                  The undersigned (the "Underwriters") understand that Eli Lilly
and Company, an Indiana corporation (the "Company"), proposes to issue and sell
(i) $200,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 6.57% Notes Due 2016 (the
"20-Year Notes") and (ii) $300,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 6.77% Notes
Due 2036 (the "40-Year Notes" and, together with the 20-Year Notes, the
"Notes").

                  Subject to the terms and conditions set forth or incorporated
by reference herein, the Company hereby agrees to sell and the Underwriters
agree to purchase, severally and not jointly, the principal amount of the
20-Year Notes set forth below opposite their names at a purchase price of
99.125% of the principal amount thereof and the principal amount of the 40-Year
Notes set forth below opposite their names at a purchase price of 99.125% of the
principal amount thereof, plus, in each case, accrued interest from January 1,
1996 to the date of payment and delivery:


Principal Amount Principal Amount Name of 20-Year Notes of 40-Year Notes Morgan Stanley & Co. $66,668,000 $100,000,000 Incorporated Goldman, Sachs & Co. 66,666,000 100,000,000 J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. 66,666,000 100,000,000 ------------ ------------ Total....................................... $200,000,000 $300,000,000 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
The Underwriters will pay for the Notes upon delivery thereof at the office of Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated at 10:00 a.m. (New York time) on January 10, 1996 or at such other time, not later than 5:00 p.m. (New York time) on January 17, 1996, as shall be designated by the Underwriters. The time and date of such payment and delivery are hereinafter referred to as the Closing Date. The Notes shall have the respective terms set forth in the Prospectus dated June 1, 1995 and the Prospectus Supplement dated January 5, 1996, including the following: Maturity Date: January 1, 2016 (20-Year Notes) January 1, 2036 (40-Year Notes) Interest Rate: 6.57% per annum (20-Year Notes) 6.77% per annum (40-Year Notes) Redemption Provisions: The Notes will be redeemable in whole or in part at the option of the Company at any time at a redemption price equal to the greater of (i) 100% of their principal amount or (ii) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest thereon discounted to the date of redemption on a semiannual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Yield (as defined in the Prospectus Supplement) plus in each case accrued interest to the date of redemption Interest Payment Dates: January 1 and July 1 commencing July 1, 1996 (interest accrues from January 1, 1996) Form and Denomination: Notes will be issued in the form of global securities in the aggregate principal amount of $200,000,000 for the 20-Year Notes and $300,000,000 for the 40-Year Notes Specified Funds for and Manner of Payment of Purchase Price: Federal funds Price to Public: 100% (20-Year Notes) 100% (40-Year Notes) All provisions contained in the document entitled Eli Lilly and Company Underwriting Agreement Standard Provisions (Debt Securities) dated March 18, 1993, a copy of 2 which is attached hereto, are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety and shall be deemed to be a part of this Agreement to the same extent as if such provisions had been set forth in full herein, except that (i) if any term defined in such document is otherwise defined herein, the definition set forth herein shall control, (ii) all references in such document to a type of security that is not a Note shall not be deemed to be a part of this Agreement, (iii) all references in such document to the "Manager" shall be deemed to refer to the Underwriters, (iv) the several obligations of the Underwriters are subject to the additional condition that the Notes shall have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange subject to official notice of issuance and (v) the opinion referred to in Section 4(c) shall be delivered by Daniel P. Carmichael, Esq., Deputy General Counsel of the Company. 3 Please confirm your agreement by having an authorized officer sign a copy of this Agreement in the space set forth below. Very truly yours, MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO. J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC. By: MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED By: /s/ Laurie Campbell --------------------------------- Name: Laurie Campbell Title: Vice President Accepted: ELI LILLY AND COMPANY By: /s/ Edwin W. Miller ------------------------------------ Name: Edwin W. Miller Title: Vice President and Treasurer


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                       CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS

We consent  to  the  reference  to  our  firm under the caption "Experts" in the
Registration   Statement   (Form S-3   No.   33-58977)  and  related  Prospectus
Supplement  of  Eli Lilly  and  Company for the registration of its  6.57% notes
due  January 1,  2016  and  its 6.77%  notes  due  January  1, 2036, and  to the
incorporation by reference  therein  of  our report dated February 8, 1995, with
respect  to  the  consolidated  financial  statements of Eli Lilly  and  Company
incorporated by  reference  in its Annual Report  (Form 10-K) for the year ended
December 31, 1994, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.


                                              /s/ ERNST & YOUNG LLP
                                              


January 10, 1996