Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) today announced that the companies will support an American College of Cardiology (ACC) program focused on driving quality improvement in cardiology and addressing the latest research advances in the reduction of cardiovascular risk and cardiovascular mortality in people with type 2 diabetes.
Despite recent advances, cardiovascular disease is still the leading cause of death associated with diabetes. Given that people with diabetes are two to four times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than people without diabetes, cardiologists are treating more and more of the 30 million adults in the U.S. living with this condition who have experienced a cardiovascular event. Approximately 50 percent of deaths in people with type 2 diabetes worldwide and approximately two-thirds of deaths in people with type 2 diabetes in the U.S. are caused by cardiovascular disease.
The new program will capture key learnings from cardiologists who are managing cardiovascular risk for people with type 2 diabetes and identify how and why these healthcare professional innovators are leading this challenge. The learnings will be shared with the wider cardiology community to help prepare them for their increasingly important responsibility in reducing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in people with type 2 diabetes.
"The ACC encourages efforts nationwide and globally to educate and communicate to cardiovascular healthcare providers and scientists about innovative advances in cardiovascular risk reduction in type 2 diabetes. This is the first stage in a longer-term process of optimizing cardiovascular risk reduction in these complex patient populations," said Nathan D. Wong, Ph.D., FACC, professor and director of the Heart Disease Prevention Program, Division of Cardiology at University of California, Irvine School of Medicine.
This initiative draws upon the unique power of the Diabetes Collaborative Registry, along with ACC's unsurpassed expertise in understanding and driving quality improvement in cardiology, to prepare the cardiology community for a coming paradigm shift in type 2 diabetes management and cardiovascular risk reduction.
"Along with Lilly, Boehringer Ingelheim is proud to support the ACC in its efforts to drive quality improvement in cardiology," said Thomas Seck, M.D., vice president of Clinical Development and Medical Affairs - Primary Care, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. "Given recent advances in research on cardiovascular risk reduction for people with type 2 diabetes, we need a better understanding of how and when innovative healthcare professionals are adopting new tools in our efforts to help educate the wider cardiology community."
About Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease
Approximately 30 million Americans and an estimated 415 million people worldwide have diabetes, and nearly 24 percent of Americans with diabetes—or more than 7 million people—are undiagnosed. In the U.S., approximately nine percent of those aged 18 and older have diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is the most common type, accounting for an estimated 90 to 95 percent of all diagnosed adult diabetes cases in the U.S. Diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when the body does not properly produce or use the hormone insulin.
Due to the complications associated with diabetes, such as high blood sugar, high blood pressure and obesity, cardiovascular disease is a major complication and the leading cause of death associated with diabetes. People with diabetes are two to four times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than people without diabetes. Approximately 50 percent of deaths in people with type 2 diabetes worldwide and approximately two-thirds of deaths in people with type 2 diabetes in the U.S. are caused by cardiovascular disease. In the U.S., healthcare costs for managing cardiovascular conditions in patients with diabetes totaled more than $23 billion in 2012.
Having a history of diabetes at age 60 can shorten a person's lifespan by as much as six years compared with someone without diabetes. And having both diabetes and a history of heart attack or stroke at age 60 can shorten a person's lifespan by as much as 12 years compared with someone without these conditions.
About Educational Initiatives
Given the critical connection between diabetes and cardiovascular disease, Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company are committed to providing programs and support to raise awareness, understanding and action toward reducing the impact of cardiovascular disease in people with type 2 diabetes.
About the American College of Cardiology
The American College of Cardiology is a 52,000-member medical society that is the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team. The mission of the College is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College operates national registries to measure and improve care, offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions, provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research and bestows credentials upon cardiovascular specialists who meet stringent qualifications.
Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company
In January 2011, Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company announced an alliance in diabetes that centers on compounds representing several of the largest diabetes treatment classes. This alliance leverages the strengths of two of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies. By joining forces, the companies demonstrate commitment in the care of patients with diabetes and stand together to focus on patient needs.
About Boehringer Ingelheim
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., based in Ridgefield, CT, is the largest U.S. subsidiary of Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation.
Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the world's top 20 pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, the company operates globally with approximately 50,000 employees. Since its founding in 1885, the company has remained family-owned and today creates value through innovation for three business areas including human pharmaceuticals, animal health and biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing.
Boehringer Ingelheim is committed to improving lives and providing valuable services and support to patients and their families. Our employees create and engage in programs that strengthen our communities.
In 2016, Boehringer Ingelheim achieved net sales of about $17.6 billion (15.9 billion euros). R&D expenditure corresponds to 19.6 percent of its net sales.
About Lilly Diabetes
Lilly has been a global leader in diabetes care since 1923, when we introduced the world's first commercial insulin. Today we are building upon this heritage by working to meet the diverse needs of people with diabetes and those who care for them. Through research and collaboration, a wide range of therapies and a continued determination to provide real solutions—from medicines to support programs and more—we strive to make life better for all those affected by diabetes around the world.
About Eli Lilly and Company
Lilly is a global healthcare leader that unites caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We were founded more than a century ago by a man committed to creating high-quality medicines that meet real needs, and today we remain true to that mission in all our work. Across the globe, Lilly employees work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to communities through philanthropy and volunteerism.
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