Lilly agrees deal to support new diabetes research

Lilly is allying with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) to support research into regenerative treatment options for type 1 diabetes patients.

The alliance will see the organisations fund an early-stage study into new ways of reprogramming selected cells to convert them into insulin producers, which would replace the ones destroyed by the disease.

A research effort at the University of Geneva, led by Dr Pedro Herrera, will be the target of this funding, with Dr Herrera set to work together with Lilly scientists to create potential therapy options based on this principle.

This project will last for three years and will receive financial support worth $1.4 million (868.17 million pounds) from Lilly and JDRF.

Dr Philip Larsen, chief scientific officer for diabetes drug discovery at Lilly, said: "This research is an example of regenerative medicine, a new frontier in science that replaces or regenerates new cells, tissues or organs."

Earlier this month, Lilly agreed a deal with Boehringer Ingelheim that will see them collaborate on the development of a number of new diabetes drugs created by both companies.