Bristol-Myers Squibb launches new diabetes scheme in China and India

Bristol-Myers Squibb has announced that it will be expanding its philanthropic Together on Diabetes scheme into China and India over the next five years.

The independent charity Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation has pledged $15 million (9.5 million pounds) to help these developing nations to deal with the growing problems caused by type 2 diabetes.

Following this announcement, a contribution of $522,797 will be made to the Shanghai Charity Foundation over three years to help develop a community-based approach to tackling diabetes in the Chinese city.

The first Together on Diabetes grants in India and additional grants in China will be announced at a later date.

Lamberto Andreotti, chief executive officer of Bristol-Myers Squibb, said this latest project is "in keeping with a long legacy of addressing global health issues through innovative and sustainable philanthropic programmes".

Earlier this week, Bristol-Myers Squibb announced a collaboration with Tsinghua University of Beijing, which will offer new possibilities in drug discovery and structural biology research.