Obstacles people with type 2 diabetes face that prevent them from getting ultimate treatment

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) today announced it is conducting the first major international, prospective observational study designed to understand the real-world obstacles that people with type 2 diabetes face that prevent them from reaching their ultimate treatment goals.

Many people with diabetes who take daily insulin resist a progression of insulin therapy that could help them reach their ideal blood sugar target. The MOSA1c (A Multinational Observational Study Assessing Insulin use: Understanding the challenges associated with the progression of therapy) study will seek to determine why that is by gathering data on insulin use, interactions between people with and treating diabetes and other factors involved in the progression of treatments used to manage diabetes.

Despite treatment, many people with type 2 diabetes do not reach blood glucose (HbA1c) goals after initiation of insulin therapy, exposing them to an increased risk of serious complications. These results are consistent across studies and geographies.

MOSA1c – the first international study of its kind – is a part of Lilly Diabetes' broader commitment to improving the lives of people living with and treating diabetes by developing personalized solutions and support that complement its existing treatment portfolio.

Lilly has partnered with Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School to conduct the study, which began enrolling patients in July 2011, following 4,500 people with type 2 diabetes taking insulin in the U.S. and 16 other countries for two years.

"Fewer than half of people with diabetes reach their target goals for glycemic control, putting them at risk for complications like blindness, amputation, heart disease and kidney failure," said William Shrank, MD, MSHS, investigator of the study and associate physician, Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, assistant professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School. "The goal of this study is to determine the barriers that prevent patients from optimizing their insulin treatment, whether that is lack of communication, health-system hurdles or emotional responses."

As diabetes progresses, people often need to intensify their treatment by increasing their insulin to avoid spikes in blood sugar level that can damage blood vessels. Though there is a great deal of research on why people with diabetes resist moving from oral medications to insulin, there is scarce information to help understand the barriers to insulin intensification. The aims of the MOSA1c study are to:

• Shed light on the non-clinical challenges and barriers associated with progressing insulin therapy
• Help people with type 2 diabetes better understand and engage in their own diabetes management; and
• Identify strategies to improve communication between patients and physicians, facilitating a tailored, personal approach to diabetes care that leads to improved glycemic control.

"At Lilly Diabetes, we understand that type 2 diabetes is influenced by behaviors that, if understood, could be adapted for improved management of the disease,'' said Robert Heine, M.D., vice president, medical affairs, Lilly Diabetes. "The best way to achieve our goal is to understand not only how they respond to therapy but also what barriers exist in daily clinical practice that prevent the best care.''

Interim results from the multinational MOSA1c study are expected to be available in mid-2012.