Eli Lilly on Monday lifted its sales and profit forecasts for the year, helped by strong sales and a delicate balance of marketing spending and cost controls in the first quarter.

The US drugmaker also reached a milestone as its key newer drugs accounted for 30 per cent of its first-quarter sales, making it less reliant on blockbuster Zyprexa – an anti-psychotic that accounts for 26 per cent of its sales.