JDRF and Lilly Partner to Fund Research to Identify Beta Cell Biomarkers
15 November 2007 - 8:53AM
PR Newswire (US)
- $3 Million Grant Over Three Years from Lilly Foundation Could
'Fill a Major Gap' in Diabetes Science - NEW YORK, Nov. 14
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
and Eli Lilly and Company announced today that they are joining
together to create a $3 million research effort to accelerate the
pace of research into drugs and therapies to cure diabetes and its
complications by developing biomarkers -- indicators that can
measure the progress of disease and the effectiveness of
therapeutics. The project -- called the JDRF-Lilly Innovative and
Academic Research and Development Grants in Diabetes Biomarkers --
will be funded by a $3 million grant from the Lilly Foundation to
JDRF over three years. JDRF is one of the world's largest
charitable funder of type 1 diabetes research; over the last year,
JDRF has funded more than $137 million in research to cure and
develop therapeutics for type 1 diabetes and its complications.
Lilly is a global leader in diabetes science and treatment, dating
back to the development of the world's first commercially-available
insulin in the 1920s, and continues to pioneer research to develop
innovative medicines to address the unmet needs of people with
diabetes. The new JDRF-Lilly project will support cutting-edge
research on biomarkers for pancreatic beta cell mass and function.
Biomarkers are natural features (lab values, images, or clinical
features) whose detection indicates the presence of a particular
disease state, or correlates with the risk or progression of a
disease; for example, elevated prostate specific antigen is a
molecular biomarker for prostate cancer. Two of the best-known
biomarkers are cholesterol and blood pressure levels, which denote
key information about cardiovascular health. In evaluating
potential therapeutics, biomarkers can also serve as "surrogate
endpoints" for evaluating the clinical benefit of a treatment. "In
general, the development of a range of biomarkers for both diabetes
itself and its various complications would fill a major gap in
science leading to a cure," said Arnold W. Donald, President and
Chief Executive Officer of JDRF. "As the field of diabetes research
moves from purely discovery research to the development of
therapeutic cures and treatments, biomarkers will play a key role
in increasing the pace of progress, and providing real benefits to
people with diabetes. Lilly's grant to support beta cell mass and
function research will play an important role in these efforts."
According to Dr. Paul Burn, Senior Vice President, Research, at
JDRF, there are few current biomarkers for type 1 diabetes research
and treatment. Biomarkers would be a powerful research tool in
indicating the onset, status, and stage of diabetes; in predicting
and monitoring a patient's clinical response to treatments
developed as part of research funded by JDRF, Lilly, and others;
and in accelerating the development of therapeutics by enabling
researchers to rapidly assess the clinical outcomes of promising
drug candidates. "Biomarkers and the comprehensive information they
can provide researchers are imperative to the progress of diabetes
research," Dr. Burn said. "This project can rapidly advance the
pace of scientific discovery and therapeutic developments for type
1 diabetes patients along multiple research pathways to finding a
cure. Lilly is making a tremendous contribution to science that
could, in turn, significantly improve the lives and outlooks of
millions." "Lilly's highest mission is to improve the lives of the
people we serve -- and there is no group of patients with whom we
have a longer and deeper relationship than people with diabetes,"
said Dr. John C. Lechleiter, Lilly's President and Chief Operating
Officer. "Until there's a cure for diabetes, it's imperative that
we continue searching for ways to improve treatment and solutions
for managing this condition and its devastating complications. This
research by JDRF could provide breakthroughs that would move the
treatment of diabetes forward in new and exciting directions -- and
maybe one day lead to a cure, the ultimate goal of diabetes
research." Grants by the JDRF-Lilly project will be available to
both academic and commercial investigators. Innovative grant
proposals will be evaluated through JDRF's grant review process,
which includes both peer scientific review and lay review
committees. For Academic Research and Development grants, JDRF will
look to proactively match academic researchers with specific
scientific targets. Currently, JDRF reviews thousands of research
proposals annually, and funds more than 700 discovery and
development projects. About Eli Lilly and Company Lilly, a leading
innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing portfolio of
first-in-class and best-in-class pharmaceutical products by
applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories
and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations.
Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., Lilly provides answers -
through medicines and information -- for some of the world's most
urgent medical needs. Additional information about Lilly is
available at http://www.lilly.com/. About Lilly Diabetes Through a
long-standing commitment to diabetes care, Lilly provides patients
with breakthrough treatments that enable them to live longer,
healthier and fuller lives. Since 1923, Lilly has been the industry
leader in pioneering therapies to help healthcare professionals
improve the lives of people with diabetes, and research continues
on innovative medicines to address the unmet needs of patients.
About JDRF JDRF was founded in 1970 by the parents of children with
type 1 diabetes -- a disease that strikes children, adolescents,
and adults suddenly, makes them insulin dependent for life, and
carries the constant threat of devastating complications. Since
inception, JDRF has provided more than $1.16 billion to diabetes
research worldwide. More than 85 percent of JDRF's expenditures
directly support research and research-related education. JDRF's
mission is constant: to find a cure for diabetes and its
complications through the support of research. For more information
please visit http://www.jdrf.org/. O-LLY (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031219/LLYLOGO ) (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071114/CLW148LOGO )
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http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Eli Lilly and Company
CONTACT: J. Scott MacGregor of Eli Lilly and Company,
+1-317-440-4699, mobile, ; or Brenda Cheung, Media Relations, JDRF,
+1-212-479-7626,
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