Eli Lilly Survey Reveals Major Concern for Patients with Ulcerative Colitis: Public Bathrooms

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Eli Lilly released the results of a survey titled Urgent Conversations found that finding a public restroom during an emergency is a common issue for people suffering from ulcerative colitis (UC).¹ The survey was broadly focused on the availability and accessibility of public restrooms, and of the 1,800 participants, 200 had moderate to severe UC.

In a press release, Lilly associate vice president of global and U.S. medical affairs, immunology, and gastroenterology indication lead Richard E. Moses, DO, JD, said, “People living with UC not only experience a significant need for access to public restrooms, they may also be altering their daily routines in order to leave their homes, as demonstrated by these results. Acknowledging and shedding light on these life challenges motivates us at Lilly to support individuals experiencing bowel urgency-related emergencies and recognize the importance of urgency symptoms when developing advanced biologics."

Marla Dubinsky, MD, is the chief of the division of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition and co-director of the Susan and Leonard Feinstein IBD Clinical Center at Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital, Icahn School of Medicine in Mount Sinai, New York. In the same press release, she said, “These results reinforce what I hear from my patients with UC. Instead of double-checking they've turned off the stove prior to leaving their homes, people with UC are mapping out the nearest restrooms and packing emergency toiletries. Many are staying home to avoid the potential for a bowel-urgency related accident in public."

Michael Osso, president and CEO of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation also said, “For people with UC, the minutes it takes to find a public restroom are consequential. This problem also extends to people who are not living with UC. In fact, 39% of the general population surveyed had experienced an accident as an adult and that number nearly doubled for respondents with UC. These results show that access to clean and readily available restrooms is not just a convenience, but a basic human need worth greater attention and advocacy."

Eli Lilly also recently announced a new member of its C-suite. Thomas J. Fuchs has been named as the company’s first chief AI officer, where he will oversee the direction and implementation of AI initiatives across the company.²

In a press release, executive vice president and chief information and digital officer at Eli Lilly Diogo Rau said, “In this new era of technology, the potential for artificial intelligence and machine learning to revolutionize health care is immense. Dr. Fuchs will contribute to Lilly’s breakthroughs in AI, aiding in the discovery and development of new medicines while enhancing patient outcomes. We are committed to leveraging these cutting-edge technologies to drive innovation and make a meaningful impact on lives around the world.”

In the same press release, Fuchs said, “Lilly is at the forefront of health care innovation, and I’m tremendously excited to join this talented team at such a pivotal time in technological advancement. Throughout my career, I have focused on leveraging technology to help patients and enhance human health. Joining Lilly will allow me to expand this mission worldwide on an amazing scale. Building AI to benefit millions of patients is profoundly humbling.”

Sources

1. Survey Reveals 8 in 10 Americans with Ulcerative Colitis Struggle to Find a Public Restroom During Emergencies. Eli Lilly. October 16, 2024. https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/survey-reveals-8-10-americans-ulcerative-colitis-struggle-find
2. Lilly Appoints Thomas J. Fuchs as the Company’s First Chief AI Officer. Eli Lilly. October 8, 2024. Accessed October 17, 2024. https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/lilly-appoints-thomas-j-fuchs-companys-first-chief-ai-officer