MANILA, Philippines?Combating diabetes among indigent Filipinos has taken a step for the better?and the cheaper?thanks to a new partnership between the pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis and the Institute for Studies on Diabetes Foundation Inc. (ISDF).

The two institutions launched on June 23 a new program called ?Innovation for Life,? a new, equitable, tiered-pricing approach toward increased access to insulin glargine (Lantus)?Sanofi-Aventis? diabetes medicine?among patients who could otherwise not afford it.

Dr. Ricardo Fernando, the founder of ISDF, said the project, which is seen to benefit more than 500 ISDF patients at the outset, was developed ?not only for the next few months but for the long term.?

Patients who are accepted to the program stand to get substantial discounts on their Lantus medication, which, depending on their condition, typically costs from P100 to P1,000 every day, organizers of the project said.

?We have to remember that the most expensive medicine is the one that does not work,? Fernando said at the launch of the project at the ISDF offices in Marikina City.

Dr. Benedict Blayney, vice president for medical affairs of Sanofi-Aventis in Asia-Pacific, said the program would also have an education component, in which poor communities would be taught ways to treat or even prevent diabetes.

?We are dipping our toes in the water. If it works well here, we are open to extending the program to other institutions in the Philippines,? Blayney said.

Diabetes mellitus, a serious chronic metabolic disease characterized by an increase in blood sugar levels, is estimated to be the cause of six percent of deaths globally. In the Philippines, it is among the 10 leading causes of deaths.