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Diabetes Connections | Type 1 Diabetes

The T1D news show you've been waiting for! Long-time broadcaster, blogger and diabetes mom Stacey Simms interviews prominent advocates, authors and speakers. Stacey asks hard questions of healthcare companies and tech developers and brings on "everyday' people living with type 1. Great for parents of T1D kids, adults with type 1 and anyone who loves a person with diabetes.
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Now displaying: March, 2023
Mar 28, 2023

Dr. Maureen Michele is a pediatrician whose daughter had already survived a cancer diagnosis, when she was later diagnosed with 1 diabetes. In fact, Dr. Michele knew enough to test for T1D, so mom and daughter found out together, in the school bathroom. The family is now on the other side of what she calls this overwhelming chaos.. and what they’ve learned can help others..

This podcast is not intended as medical advice. If you have those kinds of questions, please contact your health care provider.

Maureen's Book: Reclaiming Life

Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible!

Take Control with Afrezza 

Omnipod - Simplify Life

Learn about Dexcom 

Check out VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures

Learn more about AG1 from Athletic Greens 

Drive research that matters through the T1D Exchange

The best way to keep up with Stacey and the show is by signing up for our weekly newsletter:

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Learn more about everything at our home page www.diabetes-connections.com 

Reach out with questions or comments: info@diabetes-connections.com

 

 

Mar 24, 2023

It’s In the News, a look at the top stories and headlines from the diabetes community happening now. Top stories this week: Insulin-maker Sanofi lowers its prices and also acquires Provention, clinical trials begin on an out-patient surgery that could help treat type 2 diabetes, a swimmer DQ'd for the tape on his CGM gets the systemic changes he'd pushed for and more!

Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible!

Take Control with Afrezza 

Omnipod - Simplify Life

Learn about Dexcom 

Check out VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures

Learn more about AG1 from Athletic Greens 

Drive research that matters through the T1D Exchange

The best way to keep up with Stacey and the show is by signing up for our weekly newsletter:

Sign up for our newsletter here

Here's where to find us:

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Check out Stacey's books!

Learn more about everything at our home page www.diabetes-connections.com 

Reach out with questions or comments: info@diabetes-connections.com

Episode Transcription:

Hello and welcome to Diabetes Connections In the News! I’m Stacey Simms and these are the top diabetes stories and headlines happening now
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In the news is brought to you by Athletic Greens ● AG1 is way more than greens.
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Provention Bio’s been in a news a lot lately after the approval of Tzield to delay the development of type 1. Now French insulin-maker Sanofi has agreed to acquire it. The deal builds on an existing co-promotion agreement and gives Sanofi full ownership of the drug. Sanofi makes long acting Toujeo and Lantus.
Interestingly, Sanofi has said they’re gong to stop further work on type 2 diabetes and obesity drugs.
They also joined Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly in dropping the price of insulin in the US.
https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/frances-sanofi-acquire-us-based-provention-bio-29-bln-2023-03-13/
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Insulin pricing staying in the news as Senators Bernie Sanders and Cori Bush introduced legislation to cap the price at 20-dollars. They point out the recent prices cuts don’t apply to everyone and are still at the whim of the manufacturers.
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California signs up with Civica Rx to produce its own insulin and sell it at an affordable price. The $50 million investment will allow California to produce insulin to be sold at prices capped at $30 per vial and $55 for a box of five prefilled pens, Civica Rx said (PDF) in a release. The agreement is part of the state’s CalRx Biosimilar Insulin Initiative.
Utah-based Civica Rx is a nonprofit, social welfare manufacturer of generic drugs. This is a long way off.. Civica Rx still needs to gain approval for its biosimilar versions of Sanofi’s Lantus (gargline), Eli Lilly’s Humalog (lispro) and Novo Nordisk’s Novolog (aspart).
The cost of insulin would be same for all patients regardless of their insurance situation
https://www.fiercepharma.com/manufacturing/california-invests-50m-partner-civica-rx-insulin-manufacturing
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Millions of Americans with diabetes have cheered as drugmakers slashed the price of insulin, the lifesaving medication that treats the chronic disease.

But those lower prices, which came amid government pressure to cap insulin costs and more competition from generics and biosimilars, are only one part of the cost of treating the disease, which causes elevated blood sugar that can damage the heart, eyes and kidneys if untreated.

Over-the-counter medical supplies to monitor glucose levels and administer medications can make up the largest portion of a patient’s costs. A 2020 JAMA Internal Medicine report found that children and adults with private health insurance spent more out-of-pocket on diabetes-related supplies than on insulin A person with diabetes who uses insulin typically spends $4,882 a year on treatment if they have insurance. Of that, $3,992 is spent on supplies, according to an analysis by GoodRx, or more than 80% of the annual expense of managing the disease
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2023/03/19/cost-diabetes-supplies-worse-than-insulin/11472381002/
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New trial of a technique to slow the progression of type 2 diabetes. It’s a simple outpatient surgery conducted in the early stages of diagnosis.
The procedure targets the doo-oh-DEE-num duodenum, the first section of the small intestine just past the stomach. This organ plays a key role in digestion, including regulating insulin and blood glucose levels. In patients with type 2 diabetes, the cells that line the duodenum have become damaged, and the trial’s hypothesis is that removing these cells helps healthy ones to grow back, improving the regulation of blood glucose levels.

Patients in the clinical trial would undergo an endoscopy to insert a device into the doo-oh-DEE-num duodenum, which removes those dysfunctional cells with a series of electrical pulses. The procedure itself is only minimally invasive – it takes about an hour, it’s conducted under a general anaesthetic and the patient is discharged the same day.
Early results seem encouraging. Patients who have undergone the procedure in recent months have already seen their blood glucose levels drop. BTW if you live near L-A they’re still recruiting for this. You have to have a type 2 diagnosis and not yet need insulin injections.
https://newatlas.com/medical/diabetes-prevent-slow-progression-procedure-clinical-trial/
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Another study showing automated insulin delivery systems work well and are safe, this one the Tandem Control IQ in little kids. That’s only approved right now for kids as young as six.. this study looked at children ages two to six. The hybrid closed-loop system added an average of about 3 hours in ideal blood glucose range over the 13 weeks, compared to no change with standard care.
Standard care here meant either an insulin pump or multiple daily injections plus a separate Dexcom G6 CGM.
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/989673
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Follow up! Two years ago we told you about Ethan Orr, a Colorado high school swimmer disqualified at a state meet because of the tape over his CGM. Orr’s family filed a complaint with the department of justice and the US Attorney in Colorado took up the case. They weren’t seeking any financial damages, just a change in policy, which they got. The changes include allowing medical tape with documentation, a way to evaluate requests from students with disabilities who might need reasonable modifications of rules, and a way for refs or coaches to seek on the spot reasonable modifications.

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“I knew I’d have to fight my disease to swim, but I never imagined I’d have to fight discrimination to swim,” Ethan said, according to the news release from the law firm.
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Athletic Greens
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Today, JDRF, the leading global type 1 diabetes (T1D) research and advocacy organization, presented the inaugural Mary Tyler Moore Awards to three women leaders in Congress who have been instrumental in the fight against T1D. U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), co-chairs of the Senate Diabetes Caucus, were honored alongside Representative Diane DeGette (D-CO), co-chair of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus, for their longstanding support of the T1D community. The ceremony, held during JDRF's annual Government Day, honored the legacy of screen icon Mary Tyler Moore, who was diagnosed with T1D at the age of 33. As international chairman of JDRF from 1984 to 2017, Moore used her influence to bring government, scientists and people living with diabetes together to further T1D advocacy and innovation.

JDRF (PRNewsFoto/JDRF)
JDRF (PRNewsFoto/JDRF)
One of Moore's most significant achievements as JDRF international chairman was increased Congressional funding for the Special Diabetes Program at the National Institutes of Health that has accelerated the pace of type 1 diabetes research. This long-term investment in diabetes research has led to significant scientific breakthroughs including Tzield, the first disease modifying treatment for T1D which can delay the onset of the disease by over two years. JDRF Government Day volunteers, more than 175 T1D advocates from across the country, will encourage members of Congress to renew the Special Diabetes Program when they visit lawmakers later today on Capitol Hill.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/jdrf-presents-inaugural-mary-tyler-110000226.html
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On the podcast next week..
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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.

Mar 21, 2023

When the FDA cleared the 3 FreeStyle Libre 2 and FreeStyle Libre 3 (iCGM) system sensors for integration it meant a big leap forward to interoperability. For the first time in the US, insulin pumps can work with two different sensors.. Libre and Dexcom. This week, Stacey talks to Dr. Jordan Pinsker, medical director for Tandem Diabetes Care, about the upcoming Libre integration, the Mobi pump that's in front of the FDA right now, and much more. Dr. Pinsker has extensive experience with automated systems – he’s been there since close to the beginning and we talk about the long process to bring them to market, how they’re changing lives and what is still yet to come.

More about the Libre approval: https://beyondtype1.org/freestyle-libre-aid-clearance/

More about Dr. Pinsker: https://www.tandemdiabetes.com/providers/bio/jordan-pinsker

This podcast is not intended as medical advice. If you have those kinds of questions, please contact your health care provider.

Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible!

Take Control with Afrezza 

Omnipod - Simplify Life

Learn about Dexcom 

Check out VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures

Learn more about AG1 from Athletic Greens 

Drive research that matters through the T1D Exchange

The best way to keep up with Stacey and the show is by signing up for our weekly newsletter:

Sign up for our newsletter here

Here's where to find us:

Facebook (Group)

Facebook (Page)

Instagram

Twitter

Check out Stacey's books!

Learn more about everything at our home page www.diabetes-connections.com 

Reach out with questions or comments: info@diabetes-connections.com

 

 

Mar 14, 2023

Ginger Vieira is here to talk about her new book – she’s written on everything from pregnancy with diabetes to exercise to her new series of children’s books. But she’s such a well-versed advocate, I had to ask her about her work at the T1D Exchange and all about her use of Afrezza. Why does she love it so much and what does she want you to know about using inhaled insulin?

This podcast is not intended as medical advice. If you have those kinds of questions, please contact your health care provider.

More about Ginger: https://www.gingervieira.com/

Diabetes Doodles: https://diabetesdoodles.com/

Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible!

Take Control with Afrezza 

Omnipod - Simplify Life

Learn about Dexcom 

Check out VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures

Learn more about AG1 from Athletic Greens 

Drive research that matters through the T1D Exchange

The best way to keep up with Stacey and the show is by signing up for our weekly newsletter:

Sign up for our newsletter here

Here's where to find us:

Facebook (Group)

Facebook (Page)

Instagram

Twitter

Check out Stacey's books!

Learn more about everything at our home page www.diabetes-connections.com 

Reach out with questions or comments: info@diabetes-connections.com

 

 

Mar 10, 2023

It’s In the News, a look at the top stories and headlines from the diabetes community happening now. Top stories this week: learning more about Lilly's plan to lower the price of some insulins, Abbott's Libre 2 and Libre 3 get FDA approval to work with automated insulin delivery systems like Control IQ and Omnipod 5, Medicare expands coverage of CGMs for people with type 2, an old blood pressure medication shows promising results in a T1D study, and more!

 

Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible!

Take Control with Afrezza 

Omnipod - Simplify Life

Learn about Dexcom 

Check out VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures

Learn more about AG1 from Athletic Greens 

Drive research that matters through the T1D Exchange

The best way to keep up with Stacey and the show is by signing up for our weekly newsletter:

Sign up for our newsletter here

Here's where to find us:

Facebook (Group)

Facebook (Page)

Instagram

Twitter

Check out Stacey's books!

Learn more about everything at our home page www.diabetes-connections.com 

Reach out with questions or comments: info@diabetes-connections.com

Episode transcription:

Hello and welcome to Diabetes Connections In the News! I’m Stacey Simms and these are the top diabetes stories and headlines happening now

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In the news is brought to you by Athletic Greens

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Insulin prices

https://www.statnews.com/2023/03/06/eli-lilly-insulin-medicaid-rebates/

Drugmaker Eli Lilly & Co.

on Wednesday said it will cut prices of its most commonly prescribed insulins by 70% and cap monthly out-of-pocket costs at $35 at certain retail pharmacies for people who have private insurance.

 

Lilly will list its Lispro injection at $25 a vial effective May 1 and slash the price of its Humalog and Humlin injections by 70% starting in the fourth quarter.

 

The announcement comes amid growing federal pressure to lower the cost of insulin. The Inflation Reduction Act capped insulin prices for Medicare beneficiaries at $35 per month but did not protect people with private insurance or who don’t have coverage from higher prices.

Eli Lilly would’ve had to pay Medicaid about $150 for each vial of insulin used in the program if it hadn’t dramatically cut the list prices for some of its older products this week.

The company was about to run into a Medicaid penalty for raising the price of it’s drugs faster than the rate of inflation.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/01/lilly-cuts-insulin-prices-70percent-cap-prices-at-35-per-month-for-private-insurance.html

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The FDA has cleared Abbott's Freestyle Libre 2 and Libre 3 continuous glucose monitors (CGM) for integration with automated insulin delivery (AID) systems. These devices have also been cleared for younger children, extended wear time, and for use during pregnancy.

 

The FDA on March 6 cleared Abbott’s Freestyle Libre 2 and Freestyle Libre 3 CGM for use with automated insulin delivery (AID) systems.

 

AID systems connect a CGM, insulin pump, and smartphone to automatically adjust insulin dosing in real-time in response to changing glucose levels. These systems have been demonstrated to help many people with diabetes improve their time in range and reduce the time spent thinking about managing glucose each day.

 

With this new clearance from the FDA, Libre 2 and 3 CGMs and the connected smartphone app will soon integrate with insulin pumps to adjust insulin dosing.

 

Freestyle Libre 2 and Libre 3 CGMs were previously cleared for use by people with diabetes ages 4 and older. Freestyle Libre 3, cleared in the United States in May 2022, is compatible with both iOS and Android smartphones. Among several upgrades made from Libre 2, Libre 3 no longer requires users to manually scan their device with their smartphone to see glucose levels – data is sent to the mobile app automatically.

 

In the announcement, Abbott said the device has also been cleared for an extended wear time of 15 days, for use by children as young as age 2, and for use during pregnancy by women with type 1, type 2, or gestational diabetes.

 

Current users of Libre CGMs should note that the devices available now cover people with diabetes ages 4 and older, can be worn for 14 days, and are not cleared for use during pregnancy. According to Abbott, the modified Libre 2 and 3 sensors will be available in the U.S. later this year.

https://diatribe.org/fda-clears-freestyle-libre-2-and-3-use-automated-insulin-delivery

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Medicare will cover continuous glucose monitors for a broader group of patients, starting in April, according to an updated policy published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

 

The policy change included broader language and also came earlier than expected, making it a “welcome surprise,” and could double the market for the devices, J.P. Morgan analyst Robbie Marcus wrote in a research note.

 

Dexcom and Abbott Laboratories had expected coverage to start in mid-year.

 

In an earlier draft of coverage guidelines, CMS had suggested covering the devices for people with diabetes who take daily insulin, or who have a history of problematic hypoglycemia. Now, the policy includes people with non-insulin treated diabetes and a history of recurrent level 2 or at least one level 3 hypoglycemic event.

 

“At first glance, it seems that the finalized CMS language is broader and no longer includes daily insulin language,” Marcus wrote.

 

The policy change could open up a bigger opportunity for broader coverage by commercial insurers over the next year or two, he added.

Currently, just 25% of people with Type 2 diabetes who are intensive insulin users (taking multiple shots per day) use a CGM. Covering people who take basal (daily) insulin could double the U.S. market opportunity of about 2 million people with Type 1 diabetes and 2 million people with Type 2 diabetes who are intensive insulin users, a group currently covered by CMS, Marcus wrote.

https://www.medtechdive.com/news/Medicare-CGM-coverage-Dexcom-abbott-ABT-DXCM/644019/

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Bigfoot Biomedical receives FDA clearance for the Android mobile app for Bigfoot Unity. The mobile app allows users to input and review therapy recommendations from healthcare professionals. Users can also access a glanceable display of their current glucose range and receive real-time alerts.

 

Last month Bigfoot sold its closed-loop automated insulin delivery (AID) system technology to Insulet. CEO Jeffrey Brewer said he has confidence in the makers of the omnipod to utilize Bigfoot’s “great asset” in its focus on simplicity and ease of use for pump users.

He said the limited rollout generated “great data” to support Bigfoot Unity in the type 2 population. That includes ease of use, especially for people who might not be tech-savvy.

 

The big focus for Bigfoot Biomedical, Brewer explained, remains the pharmacy channel. He said the company is currently in discussions with Express Scripts, Optum and CVS to utilize their wide reach. Brewer said that getting an agreement with one or more of those companies will enable a more broad launch this year.

By wrapping the insulin delivery around CGM, Bigfoot Biomedical believes it can address the type 2 market in a new way.

 

https://www.massdevice.com/bigfoot-biomedical-next-steps-diabetes-management/

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Although the use of diabetes technology has increased across all racial and ethnic groups, inequities persist, according to research published in the Journal of Endocrinology & Metabolism.

In the United States, race and ethnicity have been associated with inequities in diabetes treatment and outcomes. Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic indi- viduals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) have higher hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), higher rates of severe hypoglycemia and dia- betic ketoacidosis, and are more likely to visit emergency departments and hospitals than individuals with T1D who identify as non-Hispanic White.

 

Researchers used a version of Optum’s deidentified Clinformatics Data Mart to select Medicare Advantage beneficiaries with T1D between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2020.

 

Investigators found that overall, use of an insulin pump, a CGM, both insulin pump and CGM, and either insulin pump or CGM increased during the 4-year study period

When evaluating the data by racial and ethnic group, investigators found that the prevalence of each outcome did increase; however, “within each annual cohort and outcome, there were significant differences between racial/ethnic groups,” with gaps in prevalence between White individuals and individuals of other races and ethnicities remaining “generally increase[ing] or remaining stable” between 2017 and 2020.

 

When evaluating data from the 2020 cohort, there were significant differ- ences noted in the use of insulin pump and/or CGM technology based on demographic and socioeconomic factors.

 

According to the researchers, the “persistent inequities” in diabetes technology access found in the current study have implications “not only for patients and providers, but also for health care systems and policymakers” and require multiple policy changes to improve equitable access.

 

 

https://www.drugtopics.com/view/racial-ethnic-inequities-persist-in-diabetes-care

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The CLVer study tested whether improved blood glucose control using a hybrid closed loop insulin pump (also known as an automated insulin delivery or AID system) and/or verapamil preserves beta cell function one year after diagnosis.. The trial showed that verapamil, but not better blood glucose control, improved beta cell function over the year-long study.

 

In October, the FDA approved the drug Tzeild (teplizumab) for people with diabetes antibodies but who did not yet have type 1 diabetes. This therapy was the first approved medicine to delay the onset of type 1 diabetes by an average of 2 years.

 

The CLVer study offers further hope for researchers by showing that another medication can have additional impact in type 1 diabetes, and lays the groundwork for further study. By seeing preserved c-peptide levels in the study participants, the trial demonstrated that taking verapamil improved beta cell function.

 

Additionally, although AID users had greater time in range of 78% compared to non-users’ 64%, which is a 3.4 hour/day difference, the trial found that AID did not provide a significant improvement in insulin secretion.

This study was partially funded by JDRF

 

“Safe, effective therapies are urgently needed to delay disease progression in people recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes,” said Dr. Sanjoy Dutta, chief scientific officer at JDRF. “This is the second trial showing that verapamil, a cheap and widely used blood pressure medication, can preserve beta cells in the new onset period. The CLVer trial moves us one step closer to our goal of having disease modifying therapies widely available for people with type 1 diabetes.”

https://diatribe.org/impressive-results-show-verapamil-preserves-insulin-producing-cells-newly-diagnosed-type-1-diabetes

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Some advances in cell transplantation to treat type 1:

Vertex gets FDA clearence for their application to study VX-264, a stem cell-derived, pancreatic islet cell therapy encapsulated into an immunoprotective device with the potential to treat type 1 diabetes (T1D). The VX-264 program does not require the use of immunosuppression, which may broaden the population of people with T1D that this investigational therapy could reach. This clearance means they can begin clinical trials.

AND

Sernova Corp. (TSX:SVA) (OTCQB:SEOVF) (FSE/XETRA:PSH), a clinical-stage company and leader in cell therapeutics, announced today that the first two patients in the second cohort of its active U.S. Phase 1/2 clinical trial for the treatment of type 1 diabetes (“T1D”) and hypoglycemia unawareness (the “T1D Study”) received their first islet transplant into the higher capacity 10-channel Cell Pouch™.   These patients will be monitored for safety and efficacy for three months after which a second dose of islets is anticipated to be transplanted in accordance with the protocol. Additionally, a third enrolled patient has now been implanted with the higher capacity Cell Pouch and awaits islet transplant in the coming weeks.

While they are working towards not using immunosuppression, the patients in the current trial do still require immunosuppression to start after implantation of the Cell Pouch SystemTM

 

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230308005894/en/Vertex-Announces-FDA-Clearance-of-Investigational-New-Drug-Application-for-VX-264-a-Novel-Encapsulated-Cell-Therapy-for-the-Treatment-of-Type-1-Diabetes

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/sernova-announces-initial-islet-transplantation-120000700.html?guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAH6NwHdjldrxbueuanlpUGXou6yHP2dKNpYXN31GEMLWCyhkJkgwlhn9ScIDMTX5GGtf5V242uN3EvZzFtTd56z0YZaQgOss37DT2dksdasEONxWa7OOdgnWvDlwUd0-s2RPyMTPi1sw8z08CK6DUMLIrrA6dmCDZeozlwos_CDB

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Two classes of drugs prescribed off-label for some patients with Type 1 diabetes can provide significant benefits but also come with health concerns, according to a study by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers. The findings, published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, provide a rare view of real-world use of these medications, which are growing in popularity among patients with Type 1 diabetes as adjuvants to insulin.

Type 1 diabetes is universally treated with insulin injections. However, explained Dr. Lingvay, because only a fifth of patients with Type 1 diabetes in the U.S. achieve the blood sugar control that the American Diabetes Association recommends, doctors are increasingly prescribing medications known as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) and/or sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) to help patients reach this goal.

Furthermore, both classes of medications have been shown in patients with Type 2 diabetes to decrease the risk of cardiac and renal events and help promote weight loss, effects that also would greatly benefit patients with Type 1 diabetes. However, the risk-benefit ratio of these medications has not been fully vetted in this patient population.

 

In fact, both classes of drugs have been associated with increased risk of severe hypoglycemia and DKA when used in patients with Type 1 diabetes. Because both positive and negative effects of GLP-1RAs and SGLT2is were shown in strictly regulated clinical trials, their real-world effects have been unclear.

 

To examine their efficacy, Dr. Lingvay, along with colleagues Khary Edwards, M.D., a former Endocrinology fellow at UTSW, and Xilong Li, M.B.A., Senior Database Analyst at UTSW, searched medical records for Type 1 diabetes patients treated at UT Southwestern who used any GLP-1RAs and/or SGLT2is for at least 90 days before Oct. 31, 2021. Their search turned up 104 patients: 65 who had used GLP-1RAs exclusively, 28 who had used SGLT2is exclusively, and 11 who had used both either concurrently or sequentially.

 

After a year of use, patients on GLP-1RAs had significant reductions in weight, glycated hemoglobin A1C (a three-month average measure of blood sugar), and total daily dose of insulin. SGLT2i users had significant reductions in hemoglobin A1C and basal insulin, a baseline dose delivered outside of meals.

 

However, SGLT2i users were about three times more likely than GLP-1RA users to experience DKA. Just over a quarter of patients taking either class of drugs stopped due to side effects such as gastrointestinal problems.

 

The study authors say these results suggest both types of drugs can be beneficial to patients with Type 1 diabetes, but close monitoring is required. Specifically when using SGLT2is, extreme caution is advised in selecting patients with the lowest risk of DKA, performing detailed education about the risk of DKA, and ensuring careful monitoring to prevent its occurrence.

 

https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/newsroom/articles/year-2023/february-type-1-diabetes.html

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Athletic Greens

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COVID-19 patients who took the diabetes drug metformin for two weeks after a diagnosis were less likely to develop long COVID-19 symptoms, according to results from a clinical trial.

 

The trial enrolled about a thousand participants who were symptomatic with a COVID-19 infection for less than a week. Participants were randomly selected to receive a placebo or one of three drugs: metformin, ivermectin or fluvoxamine.

About 6 percent of people who took metformin later developed long COVID-19, as determined by a medical diagnosis. In the placebo group, 10.6 percent of participants developed long COVID-19.

 

This meant that overall people who took metformin were 42 percent less likely to develop long COVID-19 compared to people who got the placebo.

 

The authors also note that the beneficial effect is potentially stronger for people who started taking metformin less than four days from symptom onset compared to people who started the medication four or more days after their first symptoms. The participants who received the two other drugs, ivermectin and fluvoxamine, did not see any benefits in terms of preventing long COVID-19.

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/3889797-diabetes-drug-proves-beneficial-in-preventing-long-covid-in-clinical-trials/

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Great article..

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/03/sports/baseball/garrett-mitchell-brewers.html

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On the podcast next week.. Ginger Vieira, author and diabetes advocate. Our last episode was with a family whose son was treated with Tzield to delay his T1D diagnosis.
That’s In the News for this week.. if you like it, please share it! Thanks for joining me! See you back here soon.

 

Mar 7, 2023

Last fall, Tzield was approved to delay type 1 diabetes in people predicted to develop it. This week, I’m talking one of the first families to use what used to be called Teplizumab for their son, as a regular patient, outside the clinical trials. How exactly does this all work? Who’s eligible and how do you cover the enormous financial cost?

Amanda Troutman talks about why they went through this process with her son, William. Their whole family was tested for the genetic markers after their daughter, Jenna, was diagnosed in 2020.

As always, this podcast is not intended as medical advice. If you have those kinds of questions, please contact your health care provider.

Our previous episodes on Tzield: https://diabetes-connections.com/?s=teplizumab

More about the Troutman family: https://www.vcuhealth.org/news/north-carolina-teen-among-first-in-us-to-receive-new-diabetes-drug

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