Collaboration to improve health outcomes announced

INDIANAPOLIS -- Eli Lilly and Company, Anthem Inc. and HealthCore Inc. announced that they have formed a five-year, real-world evidence research collaboration intended to improve health outcomes for patients.

The collaboration calls for pharmaceutical major Lilly, health care plan provider Anthem and its subsidiary HealthCore to jointly develop and conduct research projects in health outcomes and real-world evidence in areas of mutual interest. Each party will bring distinct and valuable contributions to the collaboration, including the US provider and patient environment, research capabilities, therapeutics and methods expertise and integrated, researchable data.

"Delivering high-quality outcomes for patients is a goal Lilly shares with Anthem and with all stakeholders in the healthcare system," said Tim Garnett, senior vice president and chief medical officer at Eli Lilly. "The need has never been greater to translate an ever-increasing amount of complex data into targeted and meaningful information that enables better decision-making by patients, healthcare professionals and industry.”

The collaboration allows the organizations to explore research opportunities across disease states and incorporate surveys and other information from providers and patients.

"This collaboration with Lilly and ultimately patients and providers as well, will enable us to answer fundamental questions in science and clinical care,” said Dr. Sam Nussbaum, Anthem chief medical officer and executive vice president. “By using this research and knowledge to address gaps in care, we can improve patient health and reduce the human and financial impact of illness."

Payers, physicians and patients are looking for the most holistic evidence package for any technology, and this includes both clinical trial information as well as real-world evidence. This evidence will enable better decision-making and optimize health outcomes. Several peer-reviewed studies, however,  have demonstrated that it takes an average of 17 years for research evidence to reach clinical practice.

“We’re looking at practical approaches to accelerate the speed at which we can develop evidence in the general population, as well as specific populations, so that we can get this information in the hands of clinicians and benefit patients earlier,” said Mark Cziraky, vice president of research at HealthCore, the outcomes research subsidiary of Anthem Inc.