Eli Lilly and Company and Medtronic Inc, two of the most recognised names in diabetes management, announced a strategic marketing collaboration to bolster each company's commitment to help people with diabetes manage their blood sugar using insulin therapy.

Working collaboratively with health care professionals, Lilly and Medtronic marketing and sales operations in the United States will work to improve the delivery of diabetes education for people and caregivers affected by type-1 diabetes - including the development of new educational resources and classes around the initiation and intensive management of insulin, insulin pump therapy and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM).

The alliance combines the insulin expertise of Lilly - a worldwide leader in diabetes treatment, research and education - with the advanced diabetes technologies of Medtronic, the world's largest manufacturer of insulin pumps and CGM and maker of the world's only integrated diabetes management system that combines the power of insulin pump therapy with CGM.

"Medtronic and Lilly are joining together to help improve patient access to high quality diabetes education," said Chris O'Connell, president of the diabetes business unit and senior vice president at Medtronic. "Because diabetes management is complicated, it is crucial that physicians and patients have the best access to information and educational resources. This collaboration will generate greater awareness and enable more people to benefit from the latest educational tools regarding insulin pump therapy and continuous glucose monitoring."

"People with diabetes have numerous treatment options and devices to help manage blood sugar, but physicians and patients need resources and solutions to integrate these improvements into real-world therapy," said Matt Beebe, diabetes brand leader, Lilly USA, LLC. "With this alliance, Lilly and Medtronic hope to create integrated solutions to address challenges for people taking insulin who need optimal glycemic control. By joining forces, we will help make insulin therapy more achievable by offering new educational materials and resources that help make insulin pump therapy fit into patients' lives."

Both companies are dedicated to improving the overall patient experience and bring trusted reputations along with a history of firsts in diabetes care.

Medtronic has been well-established as the leader in insulin delivery innovation since it introduced the world's first insulin pump in 1983, and has been improving on the technology for more than 25 years. Medtronic continued to innovate with the first CGM system approved for physician use in 1999, the first patient-use CGM in 2003 and the most advanced web-based therapy management system in 2004. Lilly has long been the leading innovator in insulin therapy; Lilly introduced the world's first insulin for public use in 1923 and has continued to introduce advances in diabetes therapy over the next 85 years.

Medtronic is the global leader in medical technology, alleviating pain, restoring health and extending life for millions of people around the world.