- More than 530 million people worldwide living with diabetes are at risk for developing diabetic retinal disease (DRD), the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults. 1
- DRD is a growing epidemic that is expected to increase as the incidence of diabetes escalates across the globe.2,3
- There is an urgent need for earlier detection of DRD and novel treatments that work in earlier disease states before vision loss occurs.
Ingelheim, Germany and Ann Arbor, MI, USA, November 12, 2024 – Boehringer Ingelheim and the Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative (MTM Vision) today jointly announce the start of a long-term collaboration as Boehringer becomes the first pharmaceutical company to join the MTM Vision Consortium. Housed at the University of Michigan, the MTM Vision Consortium aims to unite innovators in the pre-competitive space from universities, foundations, as well as pharmaceutical and biotech companies. MTM Vision leads this international collaboration, motivated by the urgency of millions of people worldwide who have lost or are at risk of losing their eyesight as a consequence of diabetes.
The Consortium members share several goals: address the need for novel means to better diagnose and stage DRD; validate promising clinical trial endpoints and biomarkers; and accelerate the development of breakthrough therapies. These efforts will enable treatment earlier in disease before vision loss occurs, and contribute to the creation of new regulatory pathways for drug approval.
“We are excited to join forces with MTM Vision in leading a new era of vision preservation and protection for people living with diabetes. This collaboration will help us enhance our understanding of the progression of diabetic retinopathy and the role of retinal non-perfusion, supporting the development of our portfolio in diabetic retinal diseases” said Dr. Ulrike Graefe-Mody, Global Head of Retinal Health at Boehringer Ingelheim. “It also gives us access to a unique biospecimen bank, accelerating our research and biomarker identification. In return, we are openly sharing our current efforts for evidence generation to further understand DRD and support MTM Vision’s work. Together, we are setting a course to fundamentally change our understanding of vision loss from diabetes and how it is treated.”
“Here at our third Annual Global Symposium on curing vision loss from diabetes, which coincides with Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month, we are delighted to announce that Boehringer Ingelheim has joined us as a founding member of our MTM Vision Consortium” said Dr. S. Robert Levine, founder and CEO of MTM Vision. “This Symposium provides a platform for the convening of global leaders dedicated to accelerating the development of innovative therapies to prevent and cure vision loss from diabetes. Boehringer Ingelheim’s commitment to our pre-competitive Consortium marks a pivotal moment along our path to ensure better patient outcomes by advancing research and sharing critical data. This will significantly strengthen our efforts to catalyze the development of new methods to diagnose and treat diabetic retinal disease earlier, which may preserve vision for millions of people at risk.”
About diabetic retinal disease
Diabetic retinal disease (DRD) includes all diabetes-related changes in the retina, including harm to retinal blood vessels (diabetic retinopathy or DR), swelling in the retina (diabetic macular edema or DME), restriction of blood supply to the macula (diabetic macular ischemia or DMI), and damage to retinal nerve cells that help us see (diabetic retinal neuropathy or DRN). 4,5
About Boehringer Ingelheim
Boehringer Ingelheim is a biopharmaceutical company active in both human and animal health. As one of the industry’s top investors in research and development, the company focuses on developing innovative therapies that can improve and extend lives in areas of high unmet medical need. Independent since its foundation in 1885, Boehringer takes a long-term perspective, embedding sustainability along the entire value chain. More than 53,500 employees serve over 130 markets to build a healthier, more sustainable, and equitable tomorrow.
