Government of Canada and JDRF join forces to defeat diabetes

OTTAWA, ON --(Marketwired - April 10, 2017) - The Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health, announced today that the Government of Canada is investing in a new partnership that will help improve health outcomes and quality of care for the more than 300,000 Canadians living with type 1 diabetes and their families.

The Government of Canada, through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), is partnering with JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) to support innovative clinical trials research for type 1 diabetes. Both CIHR and JDRF have committed $15M to the partnership, for a total investment of $30M.

"The Government of Canada recognizes the impact that type 1 diabetes has on Canadians and their families," said Minister Philpott. "This research will help improve the quality of life for Canadians living with type 1 diabetes and drive efforts to find a cure for this condition."

"CIHR is proud to be working with JDRF to support research on type 1 diabetes," said Dr. Phillip Sherman, Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes. "This new partnership will focus the efforts of the diabetes research community in Canada and speed the development of new and better treatments for type 1 diabetes."

JDRF and CIHR share a vision of improved care, outcomes and treatment for Canadians through innovative type 1 diabetes research, which will advance the search for a cure. This new collaboration with CIHR builds upon the success of JDRF's Canadian Clinical Trials Network (CCTN) and helps maintain Canada's leadership in T1D research and clinical trials.

"We are honoured to partner with CIHR to continue funding the best and brightest scientists in the field," said Dave Prowten, President and CEO at JDRF Canada. "This partnership will enable JDRF Canada to make significant advancements in the fight against diabetes and to positively impact the lives of the hundreds of thousands of Canadians currently living with type 1 diabetes."

"Canada is known for its state-of-the-art type 1 diabetes research, and has played a pivotal role in ground-breaking discoveries," said Derek Rapp, CEO of JDRF International. "We are pleased to be entering into this exciting partnership with CIHR to advance global science excellence."

Specific information about the grants available under this new program will be posted on CIHR's website.

About type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is a disease where the pancreas does not produce insulin. When this happens, blood glucose levels rise and, over time, the high level of glucose can damage nerves, blood vessels and organs. The number of people living with type 1 diabetes is increasing by 5% annually -- and the greatest rise is in children under five years of age.

About CIHR

At the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), we know that research has the power to change lives. As Canada's health research investment agency, we collaborate with partners and researchers to support the discoveries and innovations that improve our health and strengthen our health care system. www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca

About JDRF

JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. JDRF's goal is to progressively remove the impact of T1D from people's lives until we achieve a world without T1D. JDRF collaborates with a wide spectrum of partners and is the only organization with the scientific resources, regulatory influence, and a working plan to better treat, prevent, and eventually cure T1D. JDRF is the largest charitable supporter of T1D research. For more information, please visit jdrf.ca.