Boehringer Ingelheim employees across the globe were called to action in support of this year's World Diabetes Day. Equipped with pedometers for a week, each step taken by employees was counted and converted into a contribution of 15.000 Euros in support of the International Diabetes Federation's (IDF) "Life for a Child" Programme. The employee initiative is part of Boehringer Ingelheim's activities in support of World Diabetes Day aimed to raise awareness of the global diabetes pandemic affecting more than 285 million people across the globe.(1) Boehringer Ingelheim has an extensive and ongoing research commitment to tackling the increasing clinical challenges and growing economic burden represented by diabetes and its associated complications.
The "Life for a Child" Programme was established by IDF in 2001 to support children with diabetes in developing countries. Today, the programme supports close to 8,000 children in 27 countries by meeting their immediate needs (medical support, monitoring and education). Contributions from donors go to supported diabetes centres, enabling them to provide the ongoing clinical care and diabetes education children need to stay alive.(2)
"Children in developing countries are dying too soon. Apart from problems in supply and distribution, insulin, syringes and blood glucose test strips are beyond their reach. We need more ongoing financial support to ensure children around the globe get the life-saving medicine and supplies they so greatly need," said IDF "Life for a Child" Programme Manager Dr. Graham Ogle.
World Diabetes Day, which takes place every year on November 14 th, was created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization in response to the increasing health threat that diabetes poses.
"Diabetes is not only a threat to children; over the next 20 years the number of adult people with type 2 diabetes is expected to increase by 50 percent to 438 million worldwide. Support for World Diabetes Day is also vital to enable us to raise awareness of the true scope of diabetes and its potential consequences if not well managed," Ann Keeling, IDF Chief Executive Officer, said.
In support of this global IDF initiative, Boehringer Ingelheim also offered a week of diverse activities and informative sessions for employees, culminating with an illuminated projection of the IDF blue circle - the universal symbol for diabetes representing the global fight against the condition.
"Boehringer Ingelheim is delighted to partner with the International Diabetes Federation in celebrating World Diabetes Day," said Glyn Parkin, Corporate Vice President, Cardio-Metabolic Diseases, at Boehringer Ingelheim headquarters. "We share IDF's commitment to diabetes education and raising awareness of a condition that is expected to affect close to half a billion people worldwide by 2030."
About Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes
There are approximately 285 million people with diabetes in the adult population worldwide.(1) The International Diabetes Federation estimates that the number of people with diabetes will increase to 438 million people worldwide by 2030.(1) Nearly four million people within the 20–79-year age group are predicted to die from diabetes and its complications in 2010.(2) Approximately 50 percent of people with diabetes die of cardiovascular disease.(3)
For more information about type 2 diabetes, please also visit:
- Media webcast hosted by Boehringer Ingelheim at www.boehringer-ingelheim-webcast.com/diabetes
- Diabetes Health Lounge website and educational diabetes games at www.DiabetesHealthLounge.com
- Diabetes & associated complications video at www.youtube.com/diabetesmatters
Boehringer Ingelheim Diabetes Pipeline
Metabolism is one of Boehringer Ingelheim's core R&D areas and diabetes is one of the indications at the centre of interest within the company's global research network. Boehringer Ingelheim is committed to researching and developing new diabetes compounds with novel modes of action to improve patients' health and increase overall quality of life. These include:
- The DPP-4 inhibitor linagliptin - the most advanced compound in the Boehringer Ingelheim diabetes portfolio. Linagliptin is being investigated as an oral once-daily, single dose tablet for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, as monotherapy and as combination therapy. Linagliptin has a primarily non-renal route of excretion (only 5% is excreted via the kidneys) and is mainly excreted unchanged via the enterohepatic system (linagliptin has no active metabolite).
- The compound BI10773 - a sodium-dependent glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor. The Phase II clinical trials have concluded. BI10773 blocks renal glucose absorption in the kidneys, thereby increasing urinary excretion of glucose and consequently improving glycaemic control. The inhibition of SGLT-2 has been seen to have a positive effect on body weight loss and reduction in blood pressure.
- An 11β-HSD1 inhibitor - inhibition of 11β-HSD1 offers a novel potential therapy for the management of diabetes by lowering intracellular cortisol concentrations, resulting in improved insulin sensitivity, blood lipid levels and vascular function. The 11β-HSD1 inhibitor compound currently being studied by Boehringer Ingelheim is in the early stages of clinical development.
About Boehringer Ingelheim
The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world's 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it operates globally, with 142 affiliates in 50 countries and more than 41,500 employees. Since it was founded in 1885, the family-owned company has been committed to researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing novel products of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine.
In 2009, Boehringer Ingelheim posted net sales of 12.7 billion euro, while spending 21% of net sales in its largest business segment (Prescription Medicines) on research and development.
1. International Diabetes Federation (IDF). www.idf.org. Accessed: October 2010.
2. International Diabetes Federation (IDF). www.lifeforachild.idf.org. Accessed: October 2010.
3. Morrish NJ, Wang SL, Stevens LK, et al. Mortality and causes of death in the WHO Multinational Study of Vascular Disease in Diabetes. Diabetologia. 2001 Sep;44 Suppl 2:S14–21.