COLUMBIA, Md. and INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/
-- Welldoc, Inc., and Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY)
announced today a collaboration and licensing agreement to
integrate Welldoc's software into Lilly's connected insulin
solutions, currently in development. Under the terms of the
agreement, Lilly and Welldoc will collaborate to create a new
version of the BlueStar® insulin management solution
that integrates insulin dosing data for several Lilly insulins.
Lilly will commercialize the pen platform, which will include the
new app and Lilly's connected insulin pen solutions.
Welldoc's BlueStar app is a digital health solution cleared
by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use by adults
with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The app has both prescription and
non-prescription features such as insulin titration support, a
bolus calculator and personalized health coaching, and integrates
blood glucose monitoring and continuous glucose monitoring for
people who use insulin.
The new app will integrate insulin dosing data for several Lilly
insulins. In the first version of the pen platform, a data transfer
module will attach to the top of a prefilled, disposable insulin
pen. When paired with the compatible app, the module will
automatically transfer insulin dosing data. Lilly is also
developing a fully disposable connected insulin pen to be used in
future versions of the platform. The app will aggregate various
dimensions of personalized data and connect with healthcare
providers to deliver actionable insights and provide new
opportunities to optimize diabetes care.
"Insulin dosing data are a critical piece of the diabetes
management puzzle for people who use insulin to manage their
diabetes, and Lilly has made significant progress in developing
connected insulin pen solutions to provide access to those data,"
said Kevin McRaith, President and
CEO of Welldoc. "Our software will now bring all of the most
important diabetes data directly into the hands of people living
with the condition, their caregivers and their healthcare
providers. Bringing various elements of a patient's care under one
platform is critical for those who are managing multiple
comorbidities and providers who are working to effectively manage
population health. Welldoc's platform combines a holistic approach
with an evidence-based care model tailored to specific chronic
conditions including diabetes, hypertension, behavioral health and
more."
Lilly plans to submit to the FDA in 2021 for the data transfer
module, and Welldoc plans to submit to the FDA in 2021 for the new
app. The prefilled, disposable insulin pen to be used in the first
version of the pen platform was approved by the FDA in late 2019.
If cleared, Lilly plans to commercialize the initial pen platform
in the United States and will
evaluate opportunities to launch the platform in other geographies.
Welldoc will continue to separately commercialize the BlueStar
app.
"Today, less than half of people who use insulins are achieving
their target A1C goals. We want to simplify the experience of using
insulin by integrating our medicines with the most innovative
technology available," said Marie
Schiller, vice president of product development for
Connected Care and Insulins at Lilly. "We are excited to
collaborate with Welldoc. Together, we will combine their advanced
software capabilities and expansive insulin management features
with our connected insulin pen solutions with the goal of easing
the burden of diabetes care on people living with the
condition."
About Diabetes
Approximately 34 million
Americans1 (just over 1 in 10) and an estimated 463
million adults worldwide2 have diabetes. Type 2 diabetes
is the most common type internationally, accounting for an
estimated 90 to 95 percent of all diabetes cases in the United States alone1. Diabetes
is a chronic disease that occurs when the body does not properly
produce or use the hormone insulin.
About Lilly Diabetes
Lilly has been a global leader in
diabetes care since 1923, when we introduced the world's first
commercial insulin. Today we are building upon this heritage by
working to meet the diverse needs of people with diabetes and those
who care for them. Through research, collaboration and quality
manufacturing we strive to make life better for people affected by
diabetes and related conditions. We work to deliver breakthrough
outcomes through innovative solutions—from medicines and
technologies to support programs and more. For the latest updates,
visit http://www.lillydiabetes.com/ or follow us on Twitter:
@LillyDiabetes and Facebook: LillyDiabetesUS.
About Eli Lilly and Company
Lilly is a global health
care leader that unites caring with discovery to create medicines
that make life better for people around the world. We were founded
more than a century ago by a man committed to creating high-quality
medicines that meet real needs, and today we remain true to that
mission in all our work. Across the globe, Lilly employees work to
discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them,
improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back
to communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. To learn more
about Lilly, please visit us at lilly.com and
lilly.com/newsroom. P-LLY
About Welldoc
Welldoc® is revolutionizing
chronic disease management to help transform lives.
BlueStar®, an FDA-cleared digital health solution,
guides individuals through the complicated journey of living with
diabetes by enabling them to self-manage their conditions and
enhancing connections to their healthcare team. Welldoc streamlines
the relationships between payers, employers and healthcare systems
resources, with the goal of improving population health and
reducing the costs of chronic diseases. For more information, visit
www.welldoc.com.
Lilly Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking
Statements
This press release contains forward-looking
statements (as that term is defined in the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995) about Lilly and Welldoc's
collaboration and licensing agreement, including planned regulatory
submissions and development and commercialization strategies, and
reflects Lilly's current beliefs and expectations. However, as with
any such undertaking, there are substantial risks and uncertainties
in the process of development and commercialization of
pharmaceutical products and medical devices. Among other things,
there is no guarantee that Lilly will realize the expected benefits
from the collaboration and license agreement, that Lilly's
connected insulin solutions will receive regulatory clearance or be
commercially successful, that Lilly will meet the anticipated
timelines described in this release, or that Lilly will execute its
strategy as expected. For further discussion of these and other
risks and uncertainties, see Lilly's most recent Form 10-K and Form
10-Q filings with the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission. Except as required by law, Lilly undertakes no duty to
update forward-looking statements to reflect events after the date
of this release.
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2020. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services; 2020.
2 International Diabetes Federation. IDF Diabetes
Atlas, 9th edn. Brussels,
Belgium: International Diabetes Federation, 2019. Available
at: http://diabetesatlas.org.
Refer
to:
Maggie Pfeiffer;
monson_maggie@lilly.com; (317) 650-5939 (Lilly Media)
Kevin Hern; hern_kevin_r@lilly.com;
(317) 277-1838 (Lilly Investors)
Megan Prock McGrath;
mmcgrath@macbiocom.com; (781) 591-3488 (Welldoc Media)
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SOURCE Eli Lilly and Company