Boehringer Ingelheim, Alberta Government Create Partnership to Improve Patient Care

Boehringer Ingelheim, the University Hospital Foundation, and the Government of Alberta, Canada, have formed a partnership aimed at implementing effective solutions to improve the lives of people with respiratory diseases, particularly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The Alberta Boehringer Ingelheim Collaboration (ABIC) was recently announced at the 2019 BIO International Convention, held in Philadelphia.

The partners hope to address treatment gaps in COPD and its associated other diseases, including diabetes, obesity, and heart failure.

“We are pleased to announce our collaboration with the Government of Alberta and the University Hospital Foundation to advance innovation in healthcare,” Uli Brödl, vice president, medical and regulatory affairs, Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada), said in a press release.

“Patients are at the heart of everything we do, and we are dedicated to developing novel solutions that drive transformative change for a better patient experience,” Brödl added.

ABIC brings together the industry, public, and philanthropic sectors around common goals. The partnership expects to boost the development of new alternatives for patients, by encouraging innovation and applied research in Alberta’s life science sector. The overall aim is to advance health projects and improve the lives of Canadians with COPD and other respiratory diseases.

It is estimated that more than half the people with COPD in Alberta receive a late diagnosis. There are not enough disease and self-management programs, and many times, patients are unaware of the existing ones, the partners said. Additionally, patients do not always reach the relevant services, they said.

To improve this scenario, ABIC will fund projects led by Alberta-based researchers or healthcare professionals. These projects should aim at filling one of three healthcare gaps: early diagnosis and coordinated screening; patient awareness and education related to COPD; and connecting people with the disease to available services.

The selected projects will be supported during their development by Boehringer Ingelheim and the University Hospital Foundation.

“Through public-private-philanthropic partnerships like this, we are able to pioneer innovative solutions that will reduce costs, support a sustainable healthcare system, and improve access to care for patients,” said Christy Holtby, vice president, strategic partnerships, with the University Hospital Foundation.

“We are so grateful for the support from community members through our Foundation to help fund this forward-thinking collaboration,” Holtby added.