It’s in the news! Got a few minutes? Get caught up! Top stories this week: Dexcom is reportedly in talks to buy Omnipod, Abbott & Dexcom sue and countersue each other over patents, new study showing people with type 1 diabetes are living longer, a JDRF advocate climbs Mt Everest, and more!
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Episode Transcription Below (or coming soon!)
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Hello and welcome to Diabetes Connections In the News! I’m Stacey Simms and these are the top diabetes stories and headlines of the past seven days. we go live on social media first and then All sources linked up at diabetes dash connections dot com when this airs as a podcast.
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In the news is brought to you by T1D Exchange! T1D Exchange is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving outcomes for the entire T1D population.
https://t1dexchange.org/stacey/
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Our top story this week is still developing.. but Bloomberg reports that Dexcom is in talks to acquire Insulet, the makers of Omnipod. Neither company has commented publicly on the report. Bloombeg says, “Talks between the companies are ongoing and an agreement could be reached in the coming weeks, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. Discussions could still be delayed or fall apart, the people said.”
Insulet’s stock has gone up and Dexcom’s has gone down. These companies already have an agreement in which the Omnipod and Dexcom CGMs communicate.. Dexcom also has an agreement with Tandem and some other companies – those aren’t expected to change in the short term, but there are a lot more questions than answers about this report. I’m scheduled to talk to Dexcom’s CEO in early June and we’ll continue to follow this story.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-23/dexcom-is-said-in-talks-to-acquire-device-firm-insulet
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Meanwhile, Dexcom and Abbott are currently going head-to-head over twelve separate patents covering their respective CGMs. Both companies are launching newer products soon, with the Dexcom G7 and Freestyle Libre 3 already available in Germany. Dexcom first sued in 2021.. Abbot then countersued.
A UK High Court will hold three separate technical trials, planned for December 2022, April 2023 and July 2023.
https://www.juve-patent.com/news-and-stories/cases/dexcom-and-abbotts-fight-over-glucose-monitoring-patents-intensifies-in-europe/
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People with type 1 diabetes are living longer according to a new study based on data from Australia, Denmark, Latvia, Scotland, Spain, and the United States. The years analyzed varied by country, but overall, they cover 2000 to 2016 and include 1.5 million person-years. The data show that country-by-country annual changes in age- and sex-standardized all-cause mortality among people with T1D dropped by between 2% and nearly 6% over the study period. The risk of dying was still higher than in people without type 1, mostly because of diabetes complications.
https://www.ajmc.com/view/all-cause-mortality-falling-among-people-with-type-1-diabetes
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A new study finds that herpes virus may contribute increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Herpes viruses are one of the most common viruses in humans, with 8 types currently known. Any of these can cause lifelong latent infections after an initial, usually mild or asymptomatic primary infection. Until recently, viruses had only been proposed as a potential trigger for the development of type 1 diabetes. This study was based on health data from nearly 2000 people, men and women, in Germany. The researchers found that herpes viruses consistently and complementarily contributed to the development of prediabetes and diabetes, even after accounting for sex, age, BMI, education, smoking, physical activity, parental diabetes, hypertension, lipid levels, insulin resistance, and fasting glucose.
https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/study-herpesvirus-infection-may-increase-risk-of-diabetes
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This one sounds kind of odd, but a one-time diabetes treatment may lower average blood sugar and improve long-term insulin resistance and pancreatic function. The company is Fractyl, the treamtment is an outpatient proceure that applies heat to the intestinal walls to – quote – strip out and reset the mucosal lining, which can thicken over years from dietary fats, sugars and other foods. Fractyl believes this thickening contributes to the insulin resistance seen in Type 2 diabetes. The device has breakthrough FDA designation, but no approval yet. It is approved in Europe.
https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/fractyl-shows-its-intestine-resurfacing-device-type-2-diabetes-improves-insulin-resistance
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Right back to the news in a moment but first we’ve got a new sponsor. As I mentioned, The T1D Exchange Registry is an online research study, designed to harness the power of individuals with type 1 diabetes. It’s a research study conducted online over time, designed to foster innovation and improve the lives of people with T1D. Personal information remains confidential and participation is fully voluntary. Once enrolled, participants will complete annual surveys and have the opportunity to sign up for other studies on specific topics related to T1D. By sharing opinions, experiences and data, patients can help advance meaningful T1D treatment, care and policy Sign up at T1DExchange.org slash Stacey (that’s S-T-A-C-E-Y).
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Cameron Kenny just climbed Mt Everest and unfurled the JDRF flag at the summit. Kenny doesn’t live with diabetes, but his brother does. Kenny is an accomplished climber and raised money for JDRF during his prep and climb of Everest. I can’t seem to find his brother’s name anywhere, even in the JDRF posts, so if you know this family, please let me know.
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On this week’s long format episode, you’ll hear about Mike Joyce is set to complete an incredible long-distance hiking trail. It’s actually three trails – the longest in the US – he’ll talk about how he does this with type 1. Next week, type one way ticket travel – a new way to get teenagers with T1D to experience international adventure travel.
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That’s In the News for this week.. if you like it, please share it! Thanks for joining me! See you back here soon.