Lilly and Surrey University to study diabetes-related health outcomes

Lilly has announced a new partnership with the University of Surrey to study health outcomes in people with type 2 diabetes, focusing on the effects of treatment.

The five-year project will use real-world evidence to find answers to commonly-asked clinical questions on issues such as the role and timing of injectable therapy, factors impacting adherence to prescribed medicines and the pattern and rationale of therapy following diagnosis.

For example, they will seek to discover why some follow their diabetes treatment plan while others do not, the reasons why some patients transition to different therapies, and ways in which healthcare providers can gain a better understanding of the patient's journey.

Dr Brad Curtis, principal research scientist for medical affairs at Lilly Diabetes, said: "It's important for clinicians to understand each step of that journey, so patients might have a better chance to reach optimal outcomes. We are honoured to collaborate with the University of Surrey on this important project."

More than 387 million people worldwide have type 1 and 2 diabetes, with type 2 being the most common.

Lilly has committed significant time and resources to creating new treatments for the disease, including via its collaborative alliance with Boehringer Ingelheim, which has resulted in the development of the products Trajenta, Jardiance and Jentadueto since 2011.