S5. E7. 全球護心健康運動 — 熱情能改變生命，讓心持續跳動 TOGETHER FOR GLOBAL HEART HEALTH

 

眾所皆知，心臟是人體中最認真工作的肌肉，但大部分人不知道的是，影響心臟和血管的心血管疾病，是全球死亡原因的前幾名。有鑑於此，百靈佳殷格翰與合作夥伴們一起努力，盡全力改善心血管疾病患者的生活品質。

 

 

 

為什麼心臟健康是如此重要的議題？

Eiselé：心臟病是導致死亡的主要原因，每年會奪去約1800萬人的生命。而我們知道，高達80%因心血管疾病（cardiovascular diseases ，簡稱CVD）造成的過早死亡（premature deaths），是可以被預防的。

強化全球心臟健康是WHF和百靈佳殷格翰以及禮來公司聯盟的共同目標。我們要如何達成這個目標？

Eiselé：聯盟不斷提升大眾對心血管疾病的認識與了解，每年可以挽救數百萬人的生命。自2019年以來，我們與百靈佳殷格翰以及禮來公司的聯盟，藉由推廣像世界心臟日（World Heart Day）這類的教育性倡議活動，成功地為糖尿病患者和普羅大眾增強心臟相關衛教知識。 在世界心臟日這天，我們凝聚了來自世界各地、成千上萬的人一起，傳播心臟健康相關知識。搭配聯盟的力量，2020年的世界心臟日時，我們已經能接觸到超過4.25億的糖尿病患者，在「用心護心（Use Heart）」的主題下，我們說明了糖尿病與心血管疾病之間的關聯，解釋必須保護心臟的理由，希望患者更長壽、健康。除此之外，我們預估有接近2.15億人不知道自己罹患糖尿病，因此尚未就醫。我們的聯盟也很重視衛教推廣，希望能讓尚未就醫、確診的人們能及早尋求醫療保健專業人員的協助，藉此促進心臟健康。

 

在您看來，像百靈佳殷格翰和禮來公司、世界心臟聯盟的聯盟關係，有什麼樣的重要性？

Eiselé：聯盟夥伴關係直接影響世界心臟聯盟的影響範圍，有非常重要並且直接的關聯。藉由提高衛教知識，進而能預防、降低因心血管疾病死亡的機率，會有更深遠的影響。 到目前為止，我們與百靈佳殷格翰還有禮來公司的聯盟夥伴關係，讓我們分享出更多患者的生命故事，並在世界心臟日成功觸及超過20億的患者。聯盟之間的合作，讓我們能更貼近世界心臟聯盟、心血管疾病和糖尿病的思維主題進行圓桌會議。集思廣益的討論會議能將衛生保健專業人員、政府單位代表、非政府組織（NGO）與業界凝聚在一起，確實讓討論能更全面性、以患者為中心進行對話，並能考量到各國衛生保健系統的特殊性。

 

讓患者參與心臟衰竭和糖尿病研究很重要嗎？如果您的答案是肯定的，是為什麼呢？

Eiselé：患者與他們心臟的健康，是我們努力的動力，也是世界心臟聯盟存在的初衷。我們定期與患者團體合作，邀請他們一起參與糖尿病和心臟衰竭的研究與推廣活動。我們目前正在與製藥業合作，在糖尿病控制和預防方面初次合作。我們重視溝通、提升病識感，以及消除污名化。我們認為，是時候大家齊心合作，正視糖尿病可能對心血管疾病以及COVID-19造成的潛在危機。 患者以及高風險族群是我們推廣各個倡議活動的中心。我們的工作以證據為基礎，以故事為助力；沒有患者，就沒有這些打動人心的故事，我們的工作也不會有成效。

 

以領導者的思維為出發點，您認為對世界心臟聯盟以及其他合作夥伴而言，哪個組織可以勝任，成為未來引導眾人的「超級大國」（superpower）？

Eiselé：我們必須有彈性、創新，並且有能力激勵他人。身為有公信力的全球企業，以及我們不斷演進、發展的科學研發能力，我們已經建立好穩固的網絡，獲得全面性的成就。因為百靈佳殷格翰的領導力與創新能力，我們與禮來公司合作，建立聯盟。這也帶動了其他企業或單位與我們合作的意願，為我們開出一條道路。

 

身為世界心臟聯盟的執行長，您最享受的工作是什麼？

Eiselé：心臟是生命存在的第一個證據，也是我們唯一能聽到、感覺到的器官。讓「心」充滿熱情不難，但要讓數百萬人產生共鳴，很難。這卻是讓我獲得最帶啟發的部分。在「心臟健康」的主旨下，將看似衝突的議程、組織、企業整合，對我來說意義非凡。看到我們的團隊和董事會凝聚全球心血管疾病的社群，讓大家都能獲得護理衛教知識，了解預防措施，進而為未來帶來長期並且有效的改變，是我最深刻、獲益最大的體驗。激勵他人，帶領大家一起共享心血管相關知識，進行溝通，進行政策以及行動上的改變，是百靈佳殷格翰的使命。

 

百靈佳殷格翰與禮來公司結盟十週年

2011年1月，百靈佳殷格翰與禮來公司（Eli Lilly and Company）宣布啟動新的合作結盟計畫，以數種最常見，用以治療第二型糖尿病的化合物為中心，進行研發。 聯盟結合了兩間全球企業的實力，滿足患者的用藥需求，進而證明了：他們不只致力於照護第二型糖尿病患者，也在研究未被滿足的醫療領域部分不遺餘力。此聯盟成功推出三款成功產品：TRAJENTA^®（linagliptin）糖漸平（2011年）、 JARDIANCE^®（empagliflozin）恩排糖（2014年）、 BASAGLAR^®（insulin glargine）日胰穩（2015年）。 2015年時，empagliflozin是首個SGLT2 抑制劑，在具有里程碑意義的心血管試驗EMPA-REG-OUTCOME^® 顯示出對有心血管疾病的糖尿病病人，有顯著效益。 這些具有開創性的成果，因此帶動了如EMPEROR試驗或EMPA-KIDNEY等臨床試驗，對於無論有無糖尿病的病患，評估empagliflozin，在心臟衰竭或慢性腎臟病的影響。藉由2020年的EMPEROR-Reduced 試驗，聯盟踏出了為成年心臟衰竭患者提供治療方案的第一步。

 

「身為聯盟的一份子，我們為自己能改善糖尿病患者生活，這樣的重要成就而自豪。」

Michael B. Mason — 禮來公司糖尿病部門總經理

 

 

 

 

 

「我們期待著接下來的重要里程碑，不只激勵人心而已，而是能持續改善心肺代謝患者的生活。」

Ivan Blanarik —百靈佳殷格翰心血管、新陳代謝與呼吸治療部門總監

 

 

「在百靈佳殷格翰的人類處方用藥部門，我們致力於提供能改變患者生命的創新療法。我們擁有合作夥伴的力量、同仁的創造力，以及多元思維。」

Carinne Brouillon — 百靈佳殷格翰人類處方用藥董事會成員

 

TOGETHER FOR GLOBAL HEART HEALTH

Many people know that the heart is the hardest working muscle in the body. But what is often not known is that cardiovascular disease, which affects the heart and blood vessels, is the leading cause of death in the world today. Boehringer Ingelheim and its partners have therefore taken up the challenge of improving the lives of people living with cardiovascular diseases.

 

Why is heart health such an important topic?

 

Eiselé: Heart disease is the leading cause of death, claiming nearly 18 million lives annually. We know that up to 80% of premature deaths from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are preventable.

 

 

 

 

To strengthen heart health worldwide is a common goal of the World Heart Federation and the alliance between Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company. How can we achieve this together?

Eiselé: Partnerships can save millions of lives every year by enhancing our ability to raise awareness. Together with the Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly Alliance, we have been able to successfully strengthen heart health for those people living with and without diabetes through education initiatives such as World Heart Day (WHD) since 2019. On WHD, thousands of people from around the world unite to spread awareness of heart health. Together with the Alliance, we were able to reach more than 425 million people, who are diagnosed with diabetes, on WHD 2020. Under the slogan “Use Heart”, we in- formed them about the link with cardiovascu- lar diseases while explaining to them the need to protect their hearts to live longer, healthier lives. Furthermore, it is estimated that nearly 215 million people are living undiagnosed with diabetes. Therefore, partnerships like the one with the Alliance are key to educating people with and without diabetes to visit their health care professionals and start striving for a healthy heart today.

 

How do you assess the importance of partnerships like the one with the Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly Alliance for the World Heart Federation?

Eiselé: Partnerships are crucial to expanding the reach of the WHF and thereby have a greater impact in the reduction of cardiovascular disease mortality through awareness and prevention. To date, our partnership with the Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly Alliance has enabled us to share more patient stories and inspire the over two billion people following WHD. Furthermore, teaming up with the Alliance has enabled us to conduct roundtables around the WHF Roadmap on CVD and diabetes. These roundtables bring together health professionals, government representatives, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and industry to ensure a holistic, patient-centric approach that takes into ac- count the specificity of national health systems.

 

Do you think it is important to involve patients in research on heart failure and diabetes and if yes, why?

Eiselé: Patients and their heart health are at the center of our efforts and the reason the WHF exists. We work regularly with patient groups and we engage them in both diabetes and heart failure research and campaigns. We are currently embarking on a journey to lead an unprecedented collaborative effort with the pharmaceutical industry on diabetes con- trol and prevention. We focus on communications, awareness raising, and de-stigmatization. We believe that it is time for a concerted effort to tackle diabetes as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and COVID-19. Patients and at-risk individuals are at the heart of every initiative to reach our vision of heart health for everyone. Our work is evidence-based but story-driven, and without patients there are no stories and no progress.

 

If you think about a leadership mind- set, what do you see as a necessary “superpower” for organizations like the World Heart Federation and their partners in order to be prepared for the future?

Eiselé: We need to be agile, innovative, and able to inspire others. Our strong network and overall success are built on our credibility as an evidence-based global organization and our ability to adapt to evolving science. We collaborate with partners like the Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly Alliance because of their leadership and innovation. This paves the way for others to join our important mission.

 

What do you enjoy most about your work as the CEO of the World Heart Federation?

Eiselé: The heart is the first sign of life and the only organ we can hear and feel. It is easy to get passionate about it, but it is not easy to make a real difference for millions of people. Yet, this is the part that inspires me the most. To unite a wide variety of organizations and companies with sometimes conflicting agendas under one mission – heart health – means a lot to me. The most rewarding experience is seeing how our team and Board manage to bring together the global cardiovascular community and create a lasting change in access to care and prevention. It is our job to inspire others and lead the way in cardiovascular knowledge sharing, communications and policy, and behavior change.

 

10 years of the Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly Alliance

In January 2011, Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company announced an alliance centered on compounds representing several of the largest type 2 diabetes treatment classes.

The Alliance has since leveraged the strengths of two of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies to focus on patient needs, thereby demonstrating their commitment not only to the care of people with type 2 diabetes but also to investigating the potential to address other areas of unmet medical need. Three successful products have come out of this alliance: TRAJENTA^® (linagliptin) was launched in 2011, JARDIANCE^® (empagliflozin) in 2014, and BASAGLAR^® (insulin glargine) in 2016. In 2015, empagliflozin was the first SGLT-2 inhibitor to show a positive impact on cardiovascular mortality in the land- mark cardiovascular EMPA-REG-OUTCOME^® trial in patients with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease. Based on these groundbreaking results, clinical trials like the EMPEROR trials or EMPA-KIDNEY have been initiated to evaluate the impact of empagliflozin on people living with heart failure or chronic kidney disease, with and without type 2 diabetes. With the EMPEROR-Reduced trial in 2020, the Alliance took the first step toward providing a treatment option for adults facing heart failure.

 

“We are proud of the significant ways we have been able to improve the lives of people with diabetes as part of the Alliance.”

Michael B. Mason

 

 

 

 

 

 

“We look forward to the upcoming significant milestones in the continuation of this exciting and important journey to improve the lives of people with cardio-renal-metabolic diseases.”

Ivan Blanarik

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“In Human Pharma at Boehringer Ingelheim, we strive to deliver innovative therapies that transform patients ̓ lives. We embrace the power of partnerships, the creativity of our people, and the diversity of minds.”

Carinne Brouillon

Member of the Board of Managing Directors Human Pharma