The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation kicks off Together on Diabetes initiative

NEW YORK A drug maker's philanthropic arm announced its commitment to fight Type 2 diabetes in the United States.

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation's newest project, Together on Diabetes: Communities Uniting to Meet America's Diabetes Challenge, is a five-year, $100 million initiative to help patients living with Type 2 diabetes better manage their disease beyond the doors of their doctors' offices. It is the foundation's first large-scale diabetes initiative, which will work with a variety of community-based, regional and national partners to develop and expand effective patient self-management programs, and broadly engage affected communities in the fight against Type 2 diabetes.

"Type 2 diabetes is one of the United States' greatest health challenges and disproportionately affects the poor, minorities and the elderly, many of whom are not receiving the care and support they need to improve their glycemic control," said Lamberto Andreotti, Bristol-Myers Squibb CEO. "Together on Diabetes will draw on the strengths of communities and support public- and private-sector partners coming together to identify and implement disease management approaches that work for large segments of the population."