Corporate Magazine 2012 - Boehringer Ingelheim

esearch & developmentperspectives for medical innovationTYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUSType 2 diabetes results from an imbalancebetween insulin sensitivity and insulin secretiondue to an impaired beta cell function in thepancreas. The picture shows the pancreas.INDUSTRY-LEADING DEVELOPMENTOF ORAL ANTIDIABETES DRUGSDiabetes mellitus, literally translated, means “honey-sweet flow”.But there is nothing sweet about it. It leads to a plethora of damagein the body, particularly with regard to the small and large blood vessels,resulting, for example, in peripheral artery disease, myocardial infarction,stroke, chronic renal failure, blindness and premature death.An estimated 371 million people sufferfrom diabetes. This is expected to rise to552 million within the next 20 years.Each year, around four million people diefrom diabetes. 90% - 95% of these havetype 2 diabetes, which is a chronic andprogressive condition characterised byimpaired insulin secretion from the pancreasand insulin resistance of tissues.A growing global trend in obesity is oneof the key causes of this rise in diabetesprevalence.High unmet medical needSeveral medicines are available for thetreatment of diabetes, but most of themfurther increase body weight in thelong run, reinforcing a vicious cycle.For some of them, the so-called sulfonylureadrugs, treatment lowers bloodsugar, but nevertheless the range ofblood sugar variations remains high.Better treatments are urgently neededand they need to be tested as to whetherthey actually improve patients’ livesin the long run and allow patients tolive longer.40%At diagnosis, approximately40% of type 2 diabetes patientsalready exhibit some form ofpre s ent with some form of tissuedamage resulting from elevatedblood glucose levels, such asheart disease, stroke, renal impairmentand nerve damage.Industry-leading development of oral antidiabetes drugs55