Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announce the availability of a new online program offering customized educational content to help adults with type 2 diabetes make simple lifestyle changes to improve their health. My Well Planner is designed to address the emotional barriers people with type 2 diabetes face every day, going beyond education to help them, working with their healthcare providers, set achievable goals based on their personal needs.
My Well Planner is a free, comprehensive resource open to adults with type 2 diabetes. Modeled on a behavioral change approach, it offers personalized content that adjusts as patients use the tool over time. The program helps adults with type 2 diabetes and their healthcare providers work together to set small lifestyle goals at their own pace, building toward bigger goals in the future. Sample topics include: general information about type 2 diabetes, better eating habits, building physical activity into daily life, taking medication and communication strategies.
"Managing type 2 diabetes is complex. While medication is important, maintaining healthy diet and exercise habits are critical as well in order to successfully control blood glucose levels," said Francine Cabrera, RN, CDE, WOCN, Philadelphia, Penn. "It is not easy to break old habits and create healthier ones. What sets My Well Planner apart is its personalized content based on a graduated approach to help patients build goals and confidence to make healthy life changes."
Approximately 25.8 million Americans, or 8.3 percent, have type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is the most common type, accounting for an estimated 90 to 95 percent of all diabetes cases.(1) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) projects as many as one in three U.S. adults could have diabetes by 2050 if current trends continue.(2) However, research has shown for patients with diabetes, a combination of treatment and lifestyle changes in nutrition, physical exercise and stress reduction can bring about improvements in their glucose levels.(1)
Once enrolled in the My Well Planner program, patients are asked to take a self assessment to determine their motivation levels. Unlike other programs, My Well Planner delivers tailored tips based on patients' evaluation results to help them take an active role in their condition and maintain healthy behaviors over time. The program also creates progress reports, which patients can print out and take to their healthcare providers to discuss during visits.
"There is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing type 2 diabetes. The Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly Diabetes Alliance is committed to helping the millions of Americans living with type 2 diabetes manage their health by providing resources, such as My Well Planner, as well as treatments, such as the TRADJENTA and JENTADUETO family of products," said David Pass, PharmD, vice president, metabolism marketing, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
People with type 2 diabetes can register and create their own My Well Planner account at www.mywellplannerinfo.com.
About Diabetes
Approximately 25.8 million Americans1 and an estimated 366 million people worldwide(3) have type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is the most common type, accounting for an estimated 90 to 95 percent of all diabetes cases.(1) Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the body either does not properly produce, or use, the hormone insulin.(4)
Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company
In January 2011, Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company announced an alliance in the field of diabetes that centers on four pipeline compounds representing several of the largest treatment classes. This alliance leverages the companies' strengths as two of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, combining Boehringer Ingelheim's solid track record of research-driven innovation and Lilly's innovative research, experience, and pioneering history in diabetes. By joining forces, the companies demonstrate commitment in the care of patients with diabetes and stand together to focus on patient needs.
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 145 affiliates and more than 44,000 employees. Since it was founded in 1885, the family-owned company has been committed to researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing novel medications of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine.
As a central element of its culture, Boehringer Ingelheim pledges to act socially responsible. Involvement in social projects, caring for employees and their families, and providing equal opportunities for all employees form the foundation of the global operations. Mutual cooperation and respect, as well as environmental protection and sustainability are intrinsic factors in all of Boehringer Ingelheim's endeavors.
In 2011, Boehringer Ingelheim achieved net sales of about $17.1 billion (13.2 billion euro). R&D expenditure in the business area Prescription Medicines corresponds to 23.5% of its net sales.
About Eli Lilly and Company
Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing portfolio of pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations. Headquartered in Indianapolis, IN, Lilly provides answers - through medicines and information - for some of the world's most urgent medical needs.
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 work to meet the diverse needs of people with diabetes through research and collaboration, a broad and growing product portfolio and a continued commitment to providing real solutions - from medicines to support programs and more - to make lives better.
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National diabetes fact sheet: national estimates and general information on diabetes and prediabetes in the United States, 2011. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011.
2. Boyle JP, Thompson TJ, Gregg EW, et al. Projection of the year 2050 burden of diabetes in the US adult population: dynamic modeling of incidence, mortality, and prediabetes prevalence. Popul Health Metr. 2010:8:29. doi: 10.1186/1478-7954-8-29
3. International Diabetes Federation. Diabetes Atlas, 5th Edition: Fact Sheet. 2011.
4. International Diabetes Federation. IDF Diabetes Atlas, 5th Edition: What is Diabetes? http://www.idf.org/diabetesatlas/5e/what-is-diabetes. Accessed on: July 27, 2012.