Eli Lilly chief pushes for ‘health technology system’

Sidney Taurel, the chairman and chief executive officer of Eli Lilly, has pushed for the introduction of a health technology system that would provide more thorough understanding of medicines in the fight to improve drug safety.

Mr Taurel’s comments were made at a speech at the Cleveland Clinic, where he called for greater collaboration between the health care sector and the US government in order to reform the drug safety system.

He confirmed that technology existed to help the health care industry gain a better insight into the safety of medicines.

“Fortunately, systems are now within our grasp to more quickly identify both the true benefits and the full extent of risks associated with medicines in widespread use.”

Mr Taurel declared that an advanced IT system would act as a phase IV trial as well as a providing a model for trials larger in scope.

He also went on to outline a responsibility for the US Food and Drug Administration to bring about reform to the drug safety system.

Mr Taurel was speaking at the Cleveland Clinic’s 2007 Medical Innovations Summit with his remarks forming part of an Information Revolution proposal set out at the summit.

Earlier this year, Eli Lilly announced its financial results for the second quarter of the 2007 fiscal year, with the firm reporting “strong” figures and consequently increasing its sales and earnings-per-share guidance for the full year.