Bala Cynwyd, PA, November 11, 2014 — JDRF, the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, and Eli Lilly and Company, a global leader in diabetes care,  have announced a partnership, funding  a two-year study at the University of Pennsylvania.  JDRF and Lilly have signed a joint research co-funding agreement that will provide $715,500 to Dr. Katalin Susztak, associate professor of medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania, to conduct this study, which will focus on investigating the basic mechanisms of kidney disease in people with diabetes. This grant is being funded by JDRF as part of its complications research program, which has a specific goal of developing therapies that prevent or better treat type 1 diabetes-related damage such as eye and kidney disease.

“Kidney disease remains one of the most challenging complications of type 1 diabetes, for which very limited treatment options are available,” said JDRF director for translational development Helen Nickerson, Ph.D. “We’re excited to join Lilly in supporting Dr. Susztak’s innovative research. Her focus on the fundamental genetic and cellular aspects of diabetic kidney disease is crucial in pointing us towards the discovery and validation of novel therapy targets and biomarkers that can better identify and ultimately treat this serious complication.”

For more than 90 years, diabetes has been a core area of focus for Lilly, and the company now has seven approved diabetes treatments, as well as six treatments in development.

“Making life better for people with diabetes is a priority for Lilly and we aim to do so through our continued research efforts and collaborations,” said David Moller, M.D., vice president of endocrine and cardiovascular research and clinical investigation at Lilly. “We are pleased to join with JDRF in sponsoring Dr. Susztak’s novel research, which we hope will uncover new findings to address the serious complications associated with kidney disease.”

Dr. Susztak will use next generation sequencing and advanced informatics methods to compare samples from individuals with and without diabetes during varying stages of diabetic kidney disease. The ultimate goal is to identify the genes that are altered in the process of kidney disease that could point to targets for therapy. The research data will eventually be stored in a public database, from which other researchers could access the genes of interest and investigate how they behave in the human kidney.

“We are honored by the joint support from two respected global organizations and are excited about this unique opportunity,” says Dr. Susztak. “One of the largest hurdles in the past has been the identification of diagnostic and therapeutic targets and this unique partnership will help us tackle this critical problem.”

T1D strikes both children and adults at any age. Each year, more than 15,000 children and 15,000 adults—approximately 80 people per day—are diagnosed with T1D in the U.S. Its symptoms come on suddenly once a person loses much of their ability to produce their own insulin in the pancreas, creating a life-long dependence on injected or pumped insulin, and increasing the potential threat of devastating complications. JDRF is the only global organization with a strategic research plan to end T1D, and is committed to delivering an ongoing stream of life-changing therapies moving from development through to the marketplace that lessen the impact of T1D until we create a world without T1D.