Recently, we received some questions on Twitter about the Modernizing Our Drug and Diagnostics Evaluation and Regulatory Network (MODDERN) Cures Act. As a bipartisan, patient-centered approach, the MODDERN Cures Act would encourage the development of new, targeted treatments and cures by modernizing the U.S. regulatory system.

Over 40% of the U.S. population, more than 133 million Americans, live with a long-term illness or disability. Yet, for too many, no treatments or cures exist. Studies have shown that existing treatments and medicines may work for only 50-75% of patients. The MODDERN Cures Act would speed the development of new and better treatments for patients with chronic diseases and disabilities. With 1.7 million deaths attributed to chronic conditions each year, it’s time to take action.

The bill is expected to be introduced soon, and we look forward to talking through some of the details at that time. Until then, we encourage you to check out our blog, MODDERN Cures: Who, What, Where?, and look for more information from the Campaign for Modern Medicines and the National Health Council.

Yesterday, President Obama announced that Washington, D.C. would host the first round of the EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) talks next month. Over the next 18-24 months, the TTIP negotiations will address a broad range of bilateral trade and investment policies, as well as global issues of common interest. With the right set of principles, the TTIP promises to boost economic growth and access to innovative medicines on both sides of the Atlantic.

As my colleague in the European Union, Liam English wrote in a blog earlier this week, “TTIP should set ambitious standards for pharmaceuticals in the fields of regulatory harmonisation, intellectual property protection and enforcement, and market access.” While we may disagree about the spelling of harmonization, we couldn’t agree more about the need for greater international collaboration in these areas.

• Greater collaboration and harmonization between the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can reduce unnecessary duplication and pave the way for the development of global standards.
• High standards for intellectual property protection and enforcement create vital incentives for the development of innovative medicines that meet patients' needs.
• The mechanisms that affect market access, such as pricing and reimbursement systems, must reflect the value of the R&D process help create a stable and predictable environment. This stability enables innovation to flourish and the biopharmaceutical industry to continue to bring new medicines to patients.

With ambitious standards for regulatory harmonization, IP protection and enforcement, and market access, the TTIP can help provide a benchmark for future trade agreements. These standards could ensure rapid access to innovative new medicines for patients, while supporting the 1.2 million highly skilled jobs directly provided by the innovative pharmaceutical industry in the transatlantic economy. If done right, TTIP can benefit patients and the economy. It’s a win-win.

With Father’s Day just a couple days away, it’s a perfect time to recognize Men’s Health Week. Today’s LinkPad looks at how organizations and individuals throughout the health care space have lent their voice to generate awareness about issues that affect men’s health.

• Are you blue? Men’s Health Network asked supporters to wear blue to generate awareness about men’s health issues.
• Health and Human Services Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius’statement on National Men’s Health Week and Father’s Day focuses on the position of a father as a health role model.
• This week, HealthyWomen and Men’s Health Network announced a partnership to empower consumers and health care professionals to take a proactive role in their health and that of their families.

Men’s Health Week gives health care providers, public policy makers, the media, and individuals an opportunity to encourage men and boys to seek regular medical advice and early treatment for disease and injury. Fathers represent health care role models for their children. Improving men’s health means improving family health—and that means a healthier, happier world. Happy Father’s Day!

Tuesday evening I had the honor to attend the Project HOPE Gala in New York City, of which Lilly was a key sponsor. The event brought together supporters of this great organization to honor the achievements of Project HOPE and its phenomenal volunteers, and, yes, to raise money to continue its critical mission.

The night was a success by every measure. And being in the presence of Project HOPE president and CEO Dr. John Howe and his team is always inspiring.

Project HOPE and Lilly have had a fruitful relationship for more than 50 years. During the gala, we unveiled a new video highlighting our work to improve diabetes and hypertension care for people living in the informal settlement of Zandspruit in Johannesburg, South Africa. The video shows the important work being done there through the Lilly NCD Partnership, including when 10 Lilly employees recently spent two weeks volunteering at the site through our Connecting Hearts Abroad program.

Watch it. Share it. And learn more about Project HOPE.

It may not be four letters, but “Tax” can be a dirty word in Washington. The last overhaul of the corporate tax policy occurred in the mid-1980’s, leaving American businesses working under an antiquated code that impedes business growth, chokes job creation, and hinders U.S. competitiveness in the global marketplace. It’s time to update these policies to foster an environment that supports U.S. innovation.

With over 70,000 pages and 4,500 modifications, it’s an understatement to call the U.S. tax code “complex.” The U.S. holds the record for the highest corporate tax rate in the Western world at 39.1%. Since 1988, other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations cut corporate taxes by an average of 19 points. Over the same time period, the U.S. increased the tax rate—twice. The result has been devastating as companies continue to expand operations into those lower tax jurisdictions around the globe, thereby threatening American job and economic growth.

As countries grow more competitive and lower their tax rates, this effect will only become more pronounced. A comprehensive tax reform bill can stimulate business growth at home and help American businesses compete abroad. What would it take to bring the U.S. tax code up to speed?

1. Get Competitive: Establish a competitive corporate tax rate

Politicians from both sides of the aisle have expressed support for lowering the corporate tax rate. Reducing the corporate tax rate by just 1 point could generate 0.4-0.6% increase in GDP within a year.

2. Keep it Simple: Streamline the corporate tax code

Streamlining the corporate tax code would reduce the financial burden of compliance, freeing capital for productive investment, and eliminating political carve-outs.

3. Support U.S.-based Companies: End double taxing profits earned by American companies in foreign markets

The United States is the only G-8 country to tax the foreign earnings of its companies. This means that U.S.-based businesses end up getting taxed twice — once at the foreign rate, then again when earnings come back to the states. Ending the practice of double taxation would encourage the repatriation of funds, fueling U.S. economic growth.

Current U.S. tax policies place American companies at a disadvantage compared to their foreign counterparts. Last week, the Alliance for Competitive Taxation launched an effort to advocate for bipartisan, comprehensive tax reform. ACT members believe that the United States needs a modern tax code that unleashes the power of America's economy to create jobs, increase growth, encourage businesses to invest in the U.S., and let American companies – large and small – compete in today's global economy. Protecting American competitiveness is a nonpartisan issue, and it’s time to take the necessary steps to make sure American companies don’t fall behind.

Today's guest blog is from Rob Friedman, senior director of executive communications at Lilly. Rob describes his first-hand encounter with people afflicted with tuberculosis in poverty-stricken areas of South Africa. This is the first of two blogs underscoring the importance of our corporate responsibility efforts alongside partners in economically challenged areas of the world. The second blog will appear next week.

I saw the face of death today.

We were at the Fort Grey TB hospital, outside a squatter camp in East London, South Africa. I’d never seen a squatter camp—a kaleidoscope of makeshift shacks made of every material imaginable—scrap metal, plastic, wood, cardboard, rocks, bricks, mud. No electricity or sewers, few toilets, little-to-no clean drinking water. Piles of garbage border the camp. Some 30,000 people survive there.

At the hospital entrance, we were stopped by a gate with armed guards. They took down the serial numbers of our computers, to make sure when we left we wouldn’t be taking anything extra.

We were there to see firsthand Lilly’s work on multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, known as MDR-TB, and to shoot video of the hospital, staff, and patients to help illustrate what we do.

Long, low concrete buildings served as wards, divided by sexes. We wore surgical masks, but I’ll admit to some anxiety—the thought occurred that since TB is airborne, I had a better chance of contracting it than HIV.

We interviewed several men; some were from as far as 700 kilometers­­—more than 400 miles—away. If the patient were the main breadwinner, it was very dislocating for the family. But even more so for the patients, as families were not allowed to visit.

Then we entered the women’s ward and the camera crew set up. This always feels intrusive, but it’s the only way to capture the human voices and stories.

A volunteer brought over a patient, who sat in a plastic chair in front of the camera. Her name was Phumla. She was 28—I’d have guessed 19 or 20—small and thin, with tight braids and luminous, brown eyes. That’s all we could see, because the rest of her face was hidden behind a mask to prevent further spread of this dreaded, preventable disease.

Phumla and her sister were first admitted to the hospital three years before with TB, but both had responded to treatment and were sent home. Phumla was a model patient and strictly adhered to her difficult treatment regimen. Her sister, though, did not follow through on her prescribed treatment, and her disease evolved into XDR-TB—extremely difficult to treat—and Phumla contracted the XDR form from her.

Both sisters were readmitted to the hospital three months ago. We interviewed Phumla on Friday. Her sister had died on Tuesday.

'I want to be cured. I want to go home.'

Phumla was devastated by the loss. Her answers to the interviewer’s questions were hopeful, but her eyes didn't show hope. Her English was unsure, but when she spoke Xhosa—her native tongue—she spoke with authority. When the interviewer asked her what she wished for, however, her English was unmistakable: "I want to be cured. I want to go home." 

I didn't hear what she said next, because I was crying. My older daughter turns 27 this summer.

I won’t downplay the pain of this experience or how overwhelming the problems seem, but I take comfort from the resolve of the hospital’s staff and volunteers to beat this disease and help patients. The hospital’s doctor and manager is passionate and determined. And she sees progress. When the clinic first opened, she said, "They were dying by the thousands," due to tests that took six-to-eight weeks to provide results and long waiting lists. "Now, we get results within 48 hours, and two-to-four days after diagnosis, they are starting treatment."

What keeps her doing such difficult work? "Seeing someone who had arrived bedridden but was motivated to get better—then seeing them years later back in their community, healthy and strong. These are our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, colleagues—it could be us at any point. So I have a strong desire to see the burden of TB reduced."

I also take hope and pride in what Lilly is doing to help people like Phumla and reduce their number—attacking the problems from multiple angles with the help of global and local partners through the Lilly MDR-TB Partnership. While my first thought on seeing the enormity of the challenges of providing health care to the poor in South Africa was, "Where do you even start?" after seeing our work in action, I thought, "How can you not?"

I will never be the same.

Rob was part of a small team that traveled to South Africa in May to document and share stories about the Lilly MDR-TB Partnership, the Lilly NCD Partnership, and volunteers through our Connecting Hearts Abroad program. The patient named in this article, Phumla, approved sharing her story. Rob writes speeches for John Lechleiter, Ph.D., chairman, president, and CEO, who has long championed Lilly’s corporate responsibility efforts—which are increasingly linked to our core business of improving global health.

In Part II, scheduled for publication around June 19, Rob will look at rural and urban poverty and what Lilly and its partners are doing to provide care.

In India, 61 million people have diabetes. By 2030, that number is expected to drastically increase, with more than 100 million Indians likely to develop the disease. In fact, the International Diabetes Federation estimates that 9.2 percent of adults in India have diabetes, making its prevalence second to that in China.

Responding to the country’s growing epidemic, Lilly India, in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Ministry of Health, hosted the inaugural National Non-Communicable Disease Summit last week in New Delhi.

Vice President for Asia Operations Jannie Oosthuizen and Managing Director of Lilly India Melt Van Der Spuy discuss the conference and first-of-their-kind initiatives taking place in the region.

The newly released white paper explores innovative approaches for diabetes prevention and management and highlights best practices and suggestions from a diverse range of experts, including stakeholders who participated in five roundtable forums in the state capitals. Van Der Spuy addressed the group and emphasized “Lilly’s ongoing commitment to the prevention and management of the disease as an essential element of fighting this growing epidemic.” Recommendations in the white paper are intended to strengthen the existing national policies and programs around diabetes management.

Here at Lilly, we are actively engaged in fighting NCDS – and diabetes specifically – not only through the medicines we make, but also through the Lilly NCD Partnership, in which the company is exploring new approaches to diabetes care in impoverished communities around the world. Lilly will also hold an upcoming NCD summit in South Africa as part of our partnership, continuing the momentum of last weekend’s NCD summit in India.

This week, 42 leading American businesses, including Lilly, announced the Alliance for Competitive Taxation (ACT), a new coalition for comprehensive tax reform to encourage economic growth, spur job creation, and enhance the ability for the U.S. to compete in the global economy. Today’s LinkPad takes a broader look at the latest conversations on corporate tax reform.

• On the ACT on Tax Reform blog, the coalition makes the case for pro-growth tax reform, emphasizing their commitment to working with policymakers on a bipartisan solution.
• The Business Roundtable’s Matthew Miller explores the importance of modernizing our tax system to strengthen the U.S. economy.
• Bloomberg Television’s “Street Smart” talks with ACT economic adviser, Laura Tyson on how a corporate tax plan can bring U.S. cash back home.
• For the Wall Street Journal’s Washington Wire, John D. McKinnon explains how comprehensive tax reform benefits all businesses—big and small.

For more information on the need for comprehensive tax reform, check out the ACT website and follow them on Twitter @ACTonTaxReform.

Today's guest blog comes from Jan Lundberg, Ph.D., executive vice president, science and technology and president, Lilly Research Laboratories

Increased collaboration and new business models are great drivers of innovation. Lilly has a long history of creating partnership models designed to bring innovation to the patients who are waiting. The value of this approach was realized more than 90 years ago when we collaborated with Dr. Frederick Banting and Charles Best, two academics at the University of Toronto, to make the first commercially-available insulin for patients with diabetes. At that time, the only known way to keep these patients from dying of excess blood sugar was to put them on a near-starvation diet.

Later, a collaborative research effort with Edward C. Taylor of Princeton University and Lilly yielded the discovery and development of a novel oncology medicine for the treatment of patients suffering with advanced nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer...

The number of commas and zeros in Washington D.C. budget talks can leave you dizzy, but it’s more than Monopoly money. The decisions lawmakers face in the health policy arena affect the lives of millions of Americans every single day. Programs like the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit exemplify investments in health that bring long-term, sustainable cost savings to the entire health system. By improving access to medicines, Part D reduces one of the barriers preventing older and disabled Americans from adhering to their medication program. A recent study found that improved adherence connected to expanded drug coverage through Part D reduces medical expenditures by $2.6 billion each year.

$2.6 billion is a huge number. To put that into a non-healthcare perspective, look at all of the things you can do with that kind of savings...