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SANTA BARBARA, Calif. and INDIANAPOLIS, March 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: [ LLY ]) and the William Sansum Diabetes Center have established a research collaboration to improve the lives of Latino people affected by diabetes through enhanced research, education and care.

"The tremendous burden of diabetes and cardiovascular disease bears a disproportionate weight on Latino families in the United States," said David Kerr, M.D., FRCPE, director of Innovation and Research for the William Sansum Diabetes Center. "This collaboration with Lilly will allow us to gain a better understanding of how we can help these families."

Dr. Kerr added that Latino people comprise 43% of the total population in Santa Barbara County, and rates of cardio-metabolic disease are persistently higher than in the rest of the population due to a combination of factors beyond biological risk, including economics, culture and education.

For Lilly, the collaboration will provide valuable insights into patients' unmet needs and aid in the development of interventions that could improve health outcomes for Latino people.

"This is a great opportunity for us to further understand the significant impact of diabetes for Latino families," said Dara Schuster, M.D., senior director of U.S. Medical Affairs for Lilly Diabetes. "Through this collaboration, we will learn where the gaps are so we can develop meaningful solutions for the unmet needs."

About William Sansum Diabetes Center The William Sansum Diabetes Center has been on the cutting edge of diabetes research, clinical care, and education since its founding in 1944 by Dr. William Sansum, the first U.S. physician to administer insulin in the treatment of diabetes. The Center has developed new technologies and produced groundbreaking diabetes treatments, such as the artificial pancreas automating delivery of insulin to patients and new protocols for the management of pregnancies complicated by diabetes. Today, the Center has international recognition for research and innovation in the creation, development, and application of novel and effective smart technologies. The Center is committed to developing effective approaches to the education of clinicians, people with diabetes and their families, and healthcare providers in partnership with academic institutions, specialist diabetes centers, and primary care colleagues. For more information, please visit [ www.sansum.org ].

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 are building upon this heritage by working to meet the diverse needs of people with diabetes and those who care for them. Through research and collaboration, a wide range of therapies and a continued determination to provide real solutionsa"from medicines to support programs and morea"we strive to make life better for all those affected by diabetes around the world. For more information, visit [ www.lillydiabetes.com ] or follow us on Twitter: @LillyDiabetes.

About Eli Lilly and Company Lilly is a global healthcare leader that unites caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We were founded more than a century ago by a man committed to creating high-quality medicines that meet real needs, and today we remain true to that mission in all our work. Across the globe, Lilly employees work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. To learn more about Lilly, please visit us at [ www.lilly.com ] and [ www.lilly.com/newsroom/social-channels ].

SOURCE Eli Lilly and Company