Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim report positive diabetes drug data

Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim have announced positive data collated from four completed phase III clinical trials of their new diabetes therapy empagliflozin.

In all four studies, the investigational sodium glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor was shown to be able to deliver significant improvements in regulating blood sugar levels among adult patients with type 2 diabetes.

The trials assessed empagliflozin in a range of treatment regimens, including as a monotherapy and as an add-on to metformin and pioglitazone.

Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly expect to file for regulatory approval of this innovative new therapy in the US, Europe and Japan in 2013.

Professor Klaus Dugi, corporate senior vice-president for medicine at Boehringer Ingelheim, said: "Many patients with type 2 diabetes are not meeting their blood sugar level goals and alternative treatment options are needed for them."

Earlier this week, the companies announced that they will be ending their collaboration on the development of the investigational novel basal insulin analogue LY2605541, with Lilly resuming sole rights to the drug.