It’s In the News, a look at the top stories and headlines from the diabetes community happening now. This week, Dexcom sets a US release date for the G7, we find out whether Tandem will be a Tidepool Loop partner now that Insulet and Medtronic are out, Omnipod Eros to be discontinued, a new study says there's a better age to test kids for type 1, a new smart insulin pen sensor can also be used to track dosing of GLP-1 medications, a new twist in the Faustman study of the TB vaccine to treat diabetes, the Sims 4 update brings CGMs to the game and more.
Links and transcript below
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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 VIVI Cap – confidence on the go that keeps your insulin protected in hot or cold
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Learning a bit more about the Tidepool pump partnership, at least who it won’t be. When Tidepool Loop approval was announced last month, it came without the original pump partners, Omnipod and Medtronic. CEO Howard Look said they do have a pump partner but that they’re not ready to announced yet. I spoke to Tandem for next week’s episode and they say its’ not them. Quote “That’s not part of our roadmap, it’s not an integration we’re working on.”
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Insulet announces it will discontinue the original Omnipod system. In a letter to healthcare professionals, the company says the system, referred to as Eros or Omnipod Classic will be discontinued at the end of this year. It’s no longer available to new patients and existing customers will be transitioned to Dash or Omnipod 5. I’ll link up the letter in the show notes.
“Dear healthcare professionals,
We have made the decision to discontinue the original omnipod insulin management system in the us after December 31 2023. This system is often referred to omnipod eros or omnipod classic.
Insulet will continue to support the omnipod system throughout this year to allow existing patients ample time to transition to newer omnipod technology such as Omnipod dash or Omnipod 5. please note this product is no longer available for new patients in the US. After December 31, 2023 Insulet will not be able to guarantee the availability of the omnipod system supplies. “
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10225188520677483&set=a.1253748061199
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Civica continues to move ahead with more affordable insulin, announcing that Ypsomed will make and supply their pens. Civica plans to produce three insulin biosimilars priced at no more than $30 per vial and no more than $55 for a box of five pen cartridges. Contingent on FDA approval, Civica anticipates that its insulins will be available for purchase beginning as soon as 2024.
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New study shows screening kids at risk for type 1 diabetes only once – at age ten – is very effective in detecting the condition by the age of 18. These researchers also say “Almost no one” who is islet autoantibody negative at age 10 years despite a high familial risk for type 1 diabetes will develop clinical diabetes by the age of 18. Full study published in the Lancet.
https://www.medwirenews.com/diabetes/age-10-years-optimal-type-1-diabetes-screening-point/23957596
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(22)00350-9/fulltext?fbclid=IwAR2kRNyGg6lnq3ZWsFkXnCvkeNiisg9mE2bbN_OnGiLrUpcHKXAaff3OkE4
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The nonprofit public health advocacy group the Physicians Committee issued a formal complaint that a recent CBS "60 Minutes" segment was a promotion for Novo Nordisk’s obesity drug, Wegovy, that was dressed up as a news segment.
The Washington, D.C.-based group has filed a complaint with federal bodies alleging that the CBS "60 Minutes" segment that aired on New Year’s Day breached the FDA’s “fair balance” rules for drug ads.
The Committee said in a release that the feature failed to talk about alternatives to the drug or about other weight-loss methods; that only experts “paid by Novo” were used in the program; and that the piece used overly promotional language.
This has caused Wegovy supply issues for Novo which, coupled with manufacturing problems, only deepened bumps in production last year for the drug and led to an official shortage of the drug in 2022.
A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk told Fierce Pharma Marketing: “Novo Nordisk did not provide any payment or sponsorship to CBS 60 Minutes for their reporting on obesity as part of a news segment that aired on January 1, 2023, and we did not control any of the content or have any role in identifying or selecting the doctors and patients featured in the news segment.”
https://www.fiercepharma.com/marketing/health-group-lambasts-novo-nordisk-60-minutes-paid-news-program-weight-loss-med-wegovy
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Some researchers have pulled out of a trial investigating the use of an old tuberculosis vaccine to treat children with Type 1 diabetes only months after they began enrolling participants. This is part of the Faustman study of the BCG vaccine. Some recent research suggests that the vaccine, first administered in 1921, also may protect against Covid-19 and respiratory diseases because of its broad effects on the immune system. The lead investigators of the pediatric trial are proceeding with the study, but N.Y.U. Langone’s abrupt withdrawal could potentially jeopardize its viability if they are unable to collect data on the children at the N.Y.U. site.
An earlier study by the scientists at Massachusetts General found that two doses of B.C.G. vaccine reduced blood sugar levels to near normal in a very small group of adults with Type 1 diabetes. Other studies of B.C.G., using different versions of the vaccine and following Type 1 diabetes subjects for varying periods of time, have yielded mixed results.
The lead investigator of the trial, Dr. Denise Faustman, director of the immunobiology laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital, said that N.Y.U.’s withdrawal was a serious deviation from trial protocol that may call into question the final results.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/20/health/diabetes-bcg-nyu.html
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A new smart insulin pen sensor can also be used to track dosing of GLP-1 medications. Brand names for GLP-1 medications include Trulicity and Ozempic. This device, called Mallya, attaches to the injector and connects it to a mobile app. It’s already cleared in Europe and should be available in the US in the next few months.
The device is compatible with most popular insulin pens, including Lilly’s Kwikpen, Sanofi’s Solostar, and the Novo Nordisk FlexPen. Biocorp also announced that it has partnered with Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, and Roche Diabetes Care to improve Mallya’s current design moving forward.
According to the Mallya website, the device’s lifespan is two years before a replacement is needed, and in no way does it change the way that users operate their insulin pen. The device can be charged via USB and, with average use of three to four injections per day, requires charging once a month. Also, for those who have different pens for multiple types of insulin, the app can connect multiple Mallya devices, one for basal insulin and another for bolus, for instance.
https://diatribe.org/fda-clears-smart-injector-pen-device-mallya
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Tempramed/ VIVI Cap
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New features popped up this week in the latest version of The Sims – after an update, players can opt for their characters to wear a CGM – Libre or Dexcom
Freestyle Libre in the Sims 4 game. Search for CGM or Libre
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The Jonas Brothers officially have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
On Monday, Nick, Joe and Kevin Jonas were honored during a ceremony on Hollywood Boulevard where their careers as musicians were celebrated. Their star was dedicated in the category of Recording and the trio was introduced by Monte and Avery Lipman of Republic Records, Ryan Tedder and writer and producer Jon Bellion.
While the brothers still maintain their own separate projects -- Nick Jonas is set to produce and star in the upcoming film "Foreign Relations," Joe Jonas recently starred in the film "Devotion," and Kevin Jonas hosts the ABC series "Claim to Fame" -- they continue to make music together and are slated to release new songs this year.
The group closed out Monday's ceremony by announcing big news about their upcoming new album, which will be released in May. They also said they'll be going on tour again.
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On the podcast next week.. Tandem Diabetes with an update on their road map announced last year. They’ve since acquired a patch pump company and one that makes infusion sets. A lot to catch up on! This past week’s long format episode is with Tidepool Loop, a deep dive into what was approved with CEO Howard Look
That’s In the News for this week.. if you like it, please share it! Thanks for joining me! See you back here soon.
It’s In the News, a look at the top stories from the diabetes community from the last seven days. This week: Cost Plus pharmacy starts putting out feelers about insulin, asking people to take part in a pilot program, EO Flow looks at the US market for their new patch pump, quite a few new studies about type 2 diabetes drugs, a study about slowing down type 1 in kids and much more!
Learn more about the T1D exchange and drive research that matters! www.t1dexchange.org/stacey
Join the Diabetes Connections Facebook Group!
Sign up for our newsletter here
Episode Transcription Below (or coming soon!)
Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible!
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.
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In the news is brought to you by The T1D Exchange - Help drive research that matters.
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Possible new player in the US Patch pump business. EO Flow has submitted a 510(k) application to the FDA for its EOPatch wearable, disposable insulin pump. EO Flow is based in California and has launched the pump in South Korea. The company also has FDA breakthrough device designation on an integrated artificial pancreas. The website says EOPancreas is a wearable disposable artificial pancreas system that integrates a continuous glucose sensor and an insulin pump in one small wearable module and autonomously controls insulin infusion. They’re looking for a US partner for the pump and hope to launch in 2024.
http://www.eoflow.com/eng/eopatch/eopatch_010100.html
https://www.drugdeliverybusiness.com/eoflow-submits-insulin-patch-pump-fda-clearance/
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Your time in range before getting a COVID vaccine may predict your body’s response. This was a small study, 25 patients with type 1 who received two doses of a COVID vaccine. Researchers followed the group two weeks before before and six months after the shots.
Main outcome measures: The primary exposure and outcome measures were pre-vaccination glucose control, and antibody response after vaccination, respectively. Patients meeting the recommended pre-vaccination glucose targets of TIR (≥70%) and TAR (≤25%), developed stronger neutralizing antibody titres (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.008, respectively), regardless of HbA1c. highlighting a role for well-controlled blood glucose in vaccination efficacy.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36611249/
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New study in kids with type 1 seems to show that the drug golimumab – brand name Simponi – can help preserve beta cell function. This is the Tiger study which included people ages 6 to 21 years old with T1D and given either the drug or a placebo for 52 weeks the off the drug for another year. The group taking the drug used less insulin and had a higher c peptide level in the time after the medication stopped, indicating that there was a difference.
https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article-abstract/doi/10.2337/dc22-0908/148228/Two-Year-Follow-up-From-the-T1GER-Study-Continued?redirectedFrom=fulltext
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New study confirming what a lot of you already know, Metformin failure in people with type 2 diabetes is very common, particularly among those with high A1c levels at the time of diagnosis.
An analysis of electronic health record data for more than 22,000 patients starting metformin at three US clinical sites found that over 40% experienced metformin failure. This was defined as either failure to achieve or maintain A1c less than 7% within 18 months or the use of additional glucose-lowering medications. "These results call into question the ubiquitous use of metformin as the first-line therapy and suggest a more individualized approach may be needed to optimize therapy," they add in their article published online in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
The investigators identified a total of 22,047 metformin initiators from three clinical primary care sites: the University of Mississippi's Jackson centers, which serves a mostly African American population, the Mountain Park Health Center in Arizona, a seven-clinic federally qualified community health center in Phoenix that serves a mostly Latino population, and the Rochester Epidemiology Project, which includes the Mayo Clinic and serves a primarily White population.
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/986994
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The FDA has approved a label update for semaglutide that allows the drug to be used in addition to diet and exercise as a first-line option to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes. The brand name here is Wegovy. With its initial FDA approval in 2019, semaglutide became the first and only glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analog in pill form.
https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/fda-approves-label-update-for-semaglutide-allowing-use-as-first-line-option-for-adults-with-type-2-diabetes
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Merk says it’s diabetes drugs Januvia and Janumet have become contaminated with a potential carcinogen.. and it can resolve the problem by the end of the year. The company submitted a report to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulators. The impurity arose mostly during storage, as well as during manufacturing, Bloomberg News said. The FDA said in August certain samples of sitagliptin, a compound in Merck's diabetes drugs Januvia and Janumet, were contaminated with a possible carcinogen.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-01-17/merck-mrk-ready-to-remove-cancer-linked-chemical-from-diabetes-drugs-in-2023
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Researchers studying new methods for improving blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes have discovered an old class of antipsychotic drugs may offer clues to a novel kind of treatment for hyperglycemia. While the researchers propose the old drugs could be directly repurposed to treat diabetes, they could also be slightly modified to more specifically target blood sugar control.
The class of drugs, known as (DPBPs), were developed back in the 1960s and are still used today. The researchers say they “They all improve blood sugar control by preventing the muscle from burning ketones as a fuel source.”
Because the DPBP drugs are already approved medicines the researchers hope to quickly move to proof-of-principal human trials. This would establish whether these preclinical findings are reproducible in human patients.
The new study was published in the journal Diabetes.
https://newatlas.com/medical/old-antipsychotic-drugs-new-class-diabetes-treatment/
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Another study showing an AID system works well for people with type 2. Scientists from University of Cambridge set up a small study, no surprise, the closed loop system did a lot better than standard injection therapy – people stayed in target range 66-percent of the time versus 32-percent with shots. That was an additional 8 hours a day of time in range.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/type-2-diabetes-artificial-pancreas-may-soon-be-an-option
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Dexcom gives us a little more information about the G7. I interviewed Kevin Sayer for this week’s long format interview and he says the G7 will launch in the US during this first quarter.. so by the end of March. He also gave a more pessimistic view for interoperability with Tandem and Omnipod than we’ve heard – with Tandem end of summer early fall and Omnipod 5 next year. It’s up to those companies, not Dexcom.
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T1D Exchange
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On the podcast next week.. how are those new year’s resolutions going? If you haven’t kept them up, maybe you tried to do too much at once? Nutritionist Ben Tzeel joins me to talk about how to get back on track.
I mentioned last week’s episode with Dexcom CEO Kevin Sayer. We talk about the G7 launch and lots more, including their plans for the type 2 community and moving into “health”
That’s In the News for this week.. if you like it, please share it! Thanks for joining me! See you back here soon.
It’s In the News, a look at the top stories from the diabetes community from the last seven days. This week: predictions of a huge increases in cases of type 2, insulin prices are capped for those with Medicare, Omnipod commits to a basal-only pump for people with type 2, and more!
In the news is brought to you by Athletic Greens! Find out more: https://athleticgreens.com/stacey
Join the Diabetes Connections Facebook Group!
Sign up for our newsletter here
Episode Transcription Below (or coming soon!)
Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible!
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.
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In the news is brought to you by Athletic Greens! AG1 is way more than greens it’s daily nutrition made really simple
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New study says the number of young people in the United States with diabetes will increase by nearly 700% over the next 40 years. This was a projection study using numbers from the past 20 years and was published in the journal Diabetes Care. The CDC believes that "the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity," as well as "the presence of diabetes in people of childbearing age," could be two reasons for why the number of young Type 2 diabetics has increased so rapidly. There is some evidence that COVID 19 may also have something to do with more cases of diabetes but there isn’t enough data to know for sure.
https://www.wibw.com/2023/01/03/cdc-predicts-huge-spike-diabetes-among-young-adults-next-40-years/
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As of January first, the monthly out-of-pocket cost of insulin is capped at $35 for seniors on Medicare. That’s part of the Inflation Reduction Act in effect on Jan. 1. In August, Republicans blocked a provision in the bill that would have capped the out-of-pocket cost of the drug for everyone on private insurance. There was no provision for the uninsured. It’s not clear whether insulin pricing will come up again during this new congress.
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/insulin-cost-cap-people-diabetes-no-benefit-rcna58165
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Insulet is planning a basal only pump, looking at the type 2 market to compliment their Omnipod pump. The newly announced device is designed for patients with Type 2 diabetes who receive daily or weekly injections of basal insulin. Unlike Insulet’s other devices, it doesn’t have a controller, but has a built-in basal conversion rate. They hope to have it on the market by 2024. In an earnings call late last year Insulet announced a 42-percent increase in revenue in the US. They’ll plan a European launch of Omnipod 5 in mid-2023.
https://www.medtechdive.com/news/insulet-omnipod-5-q3-earnings-record-PODD/635811/
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Beta Bionics appoints a new Chief Medical Officer as the company quote - for the commercial launch of the iLet Bionic Pancreas System. As of right now, the iLet is still in front of the FDA but it sounds like it may be getting close to approval. Dr. Steven Russell is the new CMO here.. Dr. Russell has directed nearly all of the bionic pancreas clinical trials. The bionic pancreas – renamed the iLet a few years ago – operates using only the person’s body weight, no basal rates or other settings – and input about the size of meals, not carb counts.
https://www.newswire.com/news/beta-bionics-appoints-dr-steven-russell-as-chief-medical-officer-in-21920409
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Lilly’s Emergency Glucagon Kit is now out of production. They announced last year that they will discontinue the red box emergency kit at the end of 2022 in the US. The company says with newer options like Baqsimi nasal spray, Gvoke and Zegalogue pens, the demand isn’t there. If you do prefer the older kit – really the only way to do those mini-glucagon shots some people really like – there are still two options – Novo’s GlucaGen Hypo Kit – the orange box and a generic made by Amphastar.
https://diatribe.org/glucagon-options-expand-lilly-discontinues-emergency-kit
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Another move forward to islet transplantation. Houston Methodist Medical Center in Texas delivered islet cells and immunotherapy directly into a 3D-printed device named NICHE, which is similar to a bioengineered pancreas. It’s about the size of quarter and goes under the skin. There’s a tiny port that means the device can be refilled with medication. These researchers say they’re probably three years from human trials.
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-726001
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The US Food and Drug Administration has approved semaglutide brand name Wegovy for teenagers with obesity. When Wegovy was approved for use in adults with obesity in June 2021, it was labeled a "game changer." The results in teens – who also received what they call lifestyle intervention – were close to the results seen after bariatric surgery. Wegovy is a once weekly shot – it’s also sold with a lower dose as a type 2 treatment with the brand same Ozempic. Same drug, lower dose.
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/986403
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On the podcast next week.. A father and daughter who both live with type 1 – they were diagnosed at the same age – talk about their experience with eye health. What’s changed and what’s still the same for people with diabetes. And we get guidance and info about prevention and treatments available.
Last week’s show our 2023 prediction episodes!
That’s In the News for this week.. if you like it, please share it! Thanks for joining me! See you back here soon.
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It's In the News, a look at the top stories from the diabetes community from the last seven days. This week: Tandem buys the maker of Sigi Pump, a reusable, rechargable patch pump, Lilly uncouples from Ypsomed, big study finds widespread adoption of insulin pumps among people with type 1, but not among people of color, a big look at vegetables studies and why potatoes are basically messing things up.. and a lot more!
Check out Stacey's book: The World's Worst Diabetes Mom!
Join the Diabetes Connections Facebook Group!
Sign up for our newsletter here
Episode Transcription Below (or coming soon!)
Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible!
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.
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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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Big new study about insulin pumps shows white patients are twice as likely to get one as Black patients, and better-educated, wealthier people are also more likely to be using one. Over 20 years, starting in 2001, these researchers saw a large increase in insulin pump use across all patients, but no change in distribution by race or socioeconomic status
The study was recently published in the journal Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics. Recent data found that Black people had higher rates of severe diabetes-related complications compared with white folks.
There is also a concern that these gaps will widen with the new automated insulin-delivery systems, worsening health inequality for subsets of youth with type 1 diabetes.
https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-12-13/insulin-pumps-ease-diabetes-care-so-why-are-black-patients-less-likely-to-get-one
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Tandem Diabetes snaps up a patch pump.. buying the Swiss company that makes Sigi. The Sigi Patch Pump is not yet available, it has FDA breakthrough designation. This is a rechargeable pump, you get two you can switch out, and the infusion set is disposable. It’s set up to work with an AID system. We did an episode with SIGI earlier this year.. no word on what this might mean for Tandem’s Mobi pump.. which is a tubed pump that’s very small and was meant to compete with Omnipod.. before this news.
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221213005314/en/Tandem-Diabetes-Care-to-Acquire-Insulin-Patch-Pump-Developer-AMF-Medical
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Eli Lilly has pulled out of a partnership with Ypsomed that would have given it a branded insulin pump to sell in the U.S.
Lilly struck a deal two years ago to commercialize YpsoPump under its own brand in the U.S. The partners have since worked to customize the pump, which has been sold in Europe since 2016, for the U.S. market.
Ypsomed plans to push ahead with the U.S. expansion without Lilly, outlining plans to file with the Food and Drug Administration in the second half of next year and commercialize the pump with a new partner.
This is the second pump partner Lilly has dropped. They had a prototype with a company called DEKA but quietly disbanded that partnership a few years ago.
https://www.medtechdive.com/news/lilly-LLY-ypsomed-insulin-pump-split/638492/
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New more aggressive targets for blood pressure and lipids are among the changes to the annual American Diabetes Association (ADA) Standards of Care in Diabetes.
The document, long considered the gold standard for care of the more than 100 million Americans living with diabetes and prediabetes, was published December 12
"In this year's version of the ADA Standards of Care — the longstanding guidelines for diabetes management globally — you'll see information that really speaks to how we can more aggressively treat diabetes and reduce complications in a variety of different ways," ADA Chief Scientific and Medical Officer Robert A. Gabbay, MD, PhD, told Medscape Medical News.
Other changes for 2023 include a new emphasis on weight loss as a goal of therapy for type 2 diabetes; guidance for screening and assessing peripheral arterial disease in an effort to prevent amputations; use of finerenone in people with diabetes and chronic kidney disease; use of approved point-of-care A1c tests; and guidance on screening for food insecurity, along with an elevated role for community health workers.
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/985482
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I love this story.. A new report says eating a diet rich in vegetables may not reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. Why? Because usually, potatoes are included a as veggie in these studies, including fried potatoes, potato chips, and mashed potatoes increase the risk. In the study, participants who consumed the most vegetables — minus potatoes — had a 21% reduced risk of diabetes than those without substantial amounts of vegetables in their diet.
The vegetable most closely associated with a reduction in diabetes risk were green leafy vegetables and cruciferous vegetables.
The new study assessed the effects of both vegetables and potatoes separately. They concluded that potatoes’ neutral — or even negative effect — on diabetes had masked the true benefit of vegetable consumption.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/potatoes-and-diabetes-risk-cooking-method-matters
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Back to the news in a moment but first..
The T1D Exchange Registry is a research study conducted online over time, designed to foster innovation and improve the lives of people with T1D. The platform is open to both adults and children with T1D living in the U.S. 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. The registry aims to improve knowledge of T1D, accelerate the discovery and development of new treatments and technologies, and generate evidence to support policy or insurance changes that help the T1D community. By sharing opinions, experiences and data, patients can help advance meaningful T1D treatment, care and policy.
The registry is now available on the T1D Exchange website and is simple to navigate, mobile and user-friendly. For more information or to register, go to www.t1dregistry.org/stacey
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first pill to improve control of diabetes in some cats. The drug called Bexacat (bexagliflozin tablets), is not insulin and is not meant for cats who have the type of diabetes that requires treatment with insulin. Rather, it is what is called a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor.
As part of the approval, the FDA requires that Bexacat labels include a boxed warning about the importance of patient selection. Only certain cats should take the drug, determined through careful screening.
Bexacat also shouldn't be used in cats who are being treated with insulin or in those who have previously been treated with insulin.
Typically cats with diabetes are treated with diet and insulin therapy, including twice-daily injections given 12 hours apart.
https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-12-09/cats-now-have-an-fda-approved-pill-to-treat-their-diabetes
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On the podcast next week.. yale lacrosse player Bri Carrasquillo was diagnosed just after her freshman year. Now she’s part of Dexcom U – a new program for college athletes with type 1.
Last week’s show was G7 with Dexcom’s Jake Leach Listen wherever you get your podcasts
That’s In the News for this week.. if you like it, please share it! Thanks for joining me! See you back here soon.
It's In the News.. a look at the top news stories in the diabetes community over the past seven days. This week, The US FDA gives the green light to Dexcom's G7 CGM, Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Pharmacy puts out a survey all about insulin, new studies looking at teens with type 1 and blood pressure as well as CGM and hospitalizations at the VA and much more!
Previous episodes on Dexcom's G7: https://diabetes-connections.com/?s=g7
Check out Stacey's book: The World's Worst Diabetes Mom!
Join the Diabetes Connections Facebook Group!
Sign up for our newsletter here
Episode Transcription Below (or coming soon!)
Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible!
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.
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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 is big news.. Dexcom’s G7 gets FDA approval. This device with a shorter, half hour warm up time, with the sensor and transmitter all in one piece was approved for people age 2 and up with all types of diabetes. It was approved as an iCGM as expected, which is good news for the automated systems the G6 currently works with.. much more to come of course, we’ve done a lot of episodes on the features and design of the G7 so I’d urge you to listen to those if you haven’t yet and of course we’ll follow up with a new episode with Dexcom as soon as they’ll talk to me!
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In other news.. Illinois Attorney General files a fraud lawsuit, accusing Eli Lilly, CVS Pharmacy, Novo Nordisk and several other pharmaceutical companies of artificially inflating the cost of insulin by over 1,000% since the late 1990s. The complaint singles out Eli Lilly in particular, noting the price for a dose of its analog insulin Humalog rose by 1,527% between 1997 and 2018. "Remarkably, nothing about these medications has changed," the complaint states. "Today's $350 insulin is the exact same drug defendants originally sold for $20."
The suit also notes that 13% of Illinoisans, about 1.3 million people, live with diabetes, making the pharma companies' alleged monopoly scheme a public health threat. There are several other state and class action suits against the insulin makers going through the courts right now. So far none have landed more than a glancing blow.
https://www.courthousenews.com/illinois-attorney-general-sues-over-sky-high-insulin-prices/
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A new contender, though, might be entering the arena. Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Pharmacy put out a tweet this week asking for feedback on adding insulin to their lower-cost inventory. Quote - Insulin users: we are evaluating a future insulin test program and would like your feedback. If we offered a 90-day supply of a fast-acting insulin (up to 12 vials/8 packs of pens) for $170 incl. shipping, what would you think?” There’s a feedback form and I’ll link that up in the show notes.
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=nlWlyavTPES7xglhq5HvDwx1m5bO2mRDq1ekDvUshMtUNUZBM0dDUTA3RVpUOEY1WVNWVDE4U0JTMiQlQCN0PWcu
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People with diabetes who used glucose lowering drugs prior to getting COVID-19 seem to have fewer COVID-19 related adverse outcomes during hospitalization. The mediations have already been shown, albeit in conflicting findings, to have possible benefits regarding morbidity and mortality among patients with diabetes who become infected with COVID-19. These meds include orals like Metformin as well as injectables like sglt2 inhibitors like Jardiance and Invokana GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic and Trulicity.
https://www.ajmc.com/view/glucose-lowering-drugs-may-reduce-risk-of-covid-19-related-adverse-events-in-patients-with-diabetes
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New research about opioids and diabetes. This study says people
People with diabetes who underwent surgery had a significantly increased rate of prolonged opioid use (POU) compared to people without diabetes who underwent surgery. 56% higher for people with type 2 and more than 200% higher for those with type 1. This was a big, retrospective, observational study of more than 43,000 people who had operations at a single diverse healthcare system in 2008-2019.
The researchers say this shows that in a real-world setting healthcare providers are generally not accounting for individual risk factors when prescribing postoperative opioids.
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/985068
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Teens with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) who took bromocriptine, a medication used to treat Parkinson's disease and Type 2 diabetes, had lower blood pressure and less stiff arteries after one month of treatment compared to those who did not take the medicine, according to a small study published in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal. People with type 1 are at higher risk of high blood pressure and those diagnosed with T1D as children have even higher risks for heart disease. Therefore, researchers are interested in ways to slow down the onset of vascular disease in children with T1D.
The study's small size is a limitation. However, the researchers note that further research into bromocriptine's impact on vascular health in a greater number of people with Type 1 diabetes is warranted; they are planning larger trials.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-parkinson-medication-blood-pressure-teens.html
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CVS is facing a fraud charge with a lawsuit accusing them of deceptive fundraising in a campaign it held for the American Diabetes Association. Prior to each customer’s transaction, a checkout screen prompts the customer with several options for pre-selected dollar amounts, as well as an opt-out option, allowing donations to the diabetes association.
Yet, the plaintiff alleges, CVS did not forward donations to the diabetes association, but instead applied the donations toward a legally binding $10 million obligation CVS made to the diabetes association. In November, Edward L. Powers, a lawyer for CVS, filed a motion to dismiss the case, challenging the plaintiff and his lawyer on their interpretation of the alleged $10 million “debt.”
CVS says they agreed to fundraise from customers and turn over the donations to the diabetes association. After more than three years of fundraising, CVS would make up the difference between the cumulative customer donations and $10 million, according to the motion. The group bringing the suit disagrees and says everyone who made a campaign donations” are entitled to damages.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/12/05/metro/tweet-draws-attention-lawsuit-accusing-cvs-fundraising-fraud-checkout-cvs-has-filed-motion-dismiss-suit/
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Wearing a CGM can keep you out of the hospital.. according to a new study focusing on Veterans Affairs clinics in the US. Wearing a CGM was associated with a lower risk for all-cause hospitalization and mortality in adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. This was even though the people with type 2 who received CGM were actually unhealthier [than non-CGM users] according to the researchers, who called the mortality reductions, dramatic.
During a presentation at the World Congress on Insulin Resistance, this researcher said:
“All of this data suggests that we may need to look at these types of outcomes in a much more serious fashion, because there may be some additional benefits that we didn’t appreciate. If true, then maybe CGM use may become more like the SGLT2 inhibitors, and we’ll start using them in a much more comprehensive way.”
https://www.healio.com/news/endocrinology/20221202/cgm-use-lowers-hospitalizations-may-reduce-mortality-in-type-1-and-type-2-diabetes
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Back to the news in a moment but first..
The T1D Exchange Registry is a research study conducted online over time, designed to foster innovation and improve the lives of people with T1D. The platform is open to both adults and children with T1D living in the U.S. 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. The registry aims to improve knowledge of T1D, accelerate the discovery and development of new treatments and technologies, and generate evidence to support policy or insurance changes that help the T1D community. By sharing opinions, experiences and data, patients can help advance meaningful T1D treatment, care and policy.
The registry is now available on the T1D Exchange website and is simple to navigate, mobile and user-friendly. For more information or to register, go to www.t1dregistry.org/stacey
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outed by celebrities, raved about by TikTok users, and advertised by med spas, a new class of drugs for treating diabetes and obesity has exploded in popularity for its weight-loss effects, leading to rippling shortages across several of the medications.
Amid the surge in demand, Eli Lilly and pharmacies have started to tighten access to the latest of this type of drug, tirzepatide, focusing on giving it to people with type 2 diabetes, the only population it’s authorized for so far. But that’s left another set of patients scrambling — people with clinical obesity who turned to the medication as one of their few options for treatment.
The class of drugs are GLP-1 receptor agonists, which mimic the effects of a hormone that can help people feel full. Within this group, Novo Nordisk’s obesity drug Wegovy and diabetes drug Ozempic have been in short supply for months due to manufacturing issues and increased demand. Lilly’s diabetes medication Trulicity has also been in tight supply, according to the drugmaker. That leaves tirzepatide, sold under the name Mounjaro. Lilly said in a statement that the drug is currently not in shortage, but that the company is continuing to monitor availability of competitor therapies and “supply with a focus on access for people with type 2 diabetes.”
Related: Patients seeking novel weight loss drugs find a ‘wild west’ of online prescribers
In October, Lilly made changes to a discount program for the drug, now requiring people to attest they have type 2 diabetes. The coupons allowed patients to get the drug for $25 a month when it would otherwise cost about $1,000. Some pharmacies are also now checking if people have a diabetes diagnosis before filling prescriptions.
https://www.statnews.com/2022/12/07/eli-lilly-tightens-access-tirzepatide-mounjaro-diabetes-obesity/
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On the podcast next week.. yale lacrosse player Bri Carrasquillo was diagnosed just after her freshman year. Now she’s part of Dexcom U – a new program for college athletes with type 1.
Last week’s show was One Drop is making a CGM? We’ll talk to CEO Jeff Dachis about that. Listen wherever you get your podcasts
That’s In the News for this week.. if you like it, please share it! Thanks for joining me! See you back here soon.
It's In the News.. a roundup of the top diabetes stories and headlines of the past seven days. This week: the first AID system to use Libre 3 is released, we learn more about Teplizumab, now brand name Tzield, to prevent T1D and how much it may cost. Couple of new research projects about what triggers type 1, a personal story about retinopathy and a player with T1D takes the stage at the World Cup.
Check out Stacey's book: The World's Worst Diabetes Mom!
Join the Diabetes Connections Facebook Group!
Sign up for our newsletter here
Episode Transcription Below (or coming soon!)
Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible!
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.
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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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And by my new book “Still The World's Worst Diabetes Mom: More Real Life Stories of Parenting a Child With Type 1 Diabetes” available on Amazon in paperback and for kindle.
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The first automated insulin delivery system using the FreeStyle Libre 3 is now authorized in Germany. The mylife YpsoPump and the FreeStyle Libre 3, combined with the mylife CamAPS FX algorithm from CamDiab
Ypsomed already launched mylife Loop in partnership with CamDiab in early summer 2022 in several countries. That was with the Dexcom G6. The company now says By enabling the FreeStyle Libre 3 sensor to work with mylife Loop, people with diabetes now have the option of choosing between two sensors, the Dexcom G6 and the FreeStyle Libre 3, and of customising their loop.
with other European countries to follow in 2023. The mylife Loop offering is currently available for Android, iOS will follow in the second half of 2023.
I spoke with Ypsomed last year, they are partnering with Lilly and plan to bring their pump the US. Right now oly the Dexcom G6 is approved for AID use, so we’ll see if we get the same kind of flexibility.
https://www.drugdeliverybusiness.com/ypsomed-camdiab-insulin-dosing-abbott-freestyle-libre-3/
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Really interesting but very early work on protein known as Befa. It’s produced by gut bacteria and triggers the division of cells that make insulin. Reserachers at Univesrty of Utah are working on understanding more about how Befa works.. hoping it could help them figure out a way to stimulate beta cell prdocution. The researchers’ findings were recently published in the journal Cell Metabolism. The finding suggests that bacterial warfare in the gut can have collateral beneficial effects on the body, boosting the population of cells that can make insulin throughout the lifespan. In the future, Guillemin’s team imagines possible therapeutic applications for the finding. For example, proactively fortifying the microbiomes of high-risk infants with BefA-producing bacteria could prevent them from later developing type 1 diabetes.
https://scitechdaily.com/profound-implications-new-research-details-the-microbial-origins-of-type-1-diabetes/
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A new serological test may be pivotal in the search for viral triggers of diseases like diabetes and celiac disease. PepSeq is a technology that allows scientists to test antibody binding against hundreds of thousands of protein targets at one time, instead of testing one at a time. This protocol is laid out in detail in an article published earlier in November in Nature Protocols.
It's said to be an important step forward as concerns about bioterrorism, zoonotic diseases and the next pandemic are never far away. Understanding these pathogens will help scientists develop vaccines and track their movement and evolution.
"This can help us to better understand the epidemiology of infectious diseases, and it is also empowering us in our search for potential viral triggers for non-infectious diseases like diabetes and celiac disease," Ladner said.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-11-serological-viral-triggers-diseases-diabetes.html
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The recent approval of teplizumab – brand name is now Tzield, for the delay of type 1 diabetes by the US Food and Drug Administration is expected to advance efforts to increase screening to cost-effectively identify those at risk for the condition who would be eligible to receive the new treatment. The anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody was approved November 17. In a clinical trial, teplizumab delayed the onset of clinical (stage 3) type 1 diabetes by approximately 2 years, and longer in some cases.. more than 4 years.
It is administered by intravenous infusion once daily for 14 consecutive days and is expected to cost in the region of $200,000 for the course of treatment.
During an investor call on November 18, Provention Bio chief commercial officer Jason Hoitt said that among the company's "strategic initiatives" were "advancing awareness and screening for autoantibodies in at-risk individuals, and ultimately, routine screening during pediatric well visits for the general population," as well as "[healthcare provider] belief in teplizumab and desire to prescribe it for their patients."
Without broad population-based screening, first-degree relatives of people with type 1 diabetes are likely to be the first to be screened and those with stage 2 identified for receipt of teplizumab. Today, that population is estimated at about 30,000 in the United States, Hoitt said, adding, "with this approval we hope that more stage 2 patients can be readily identified so the course of the disease can be changed."
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/984748
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A new way to test for pancreatic cancer is being considered a breakthrough. Pancreatic cancer is commonly considered the deadliest of all cancers in part because with few symptoms and invasive testing, it’s so difficult to detect. Bluestar Genomics, which has developed a new non-invasive “liquid biopsy” test that uses a blood test.
Pancreatic cancer is eight times as common in patients over the age of 50 with a recent diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Sometimes, new cases of type 2 diabetes may actually be a consequence of early, undetected pancreatic cancer. Bluestar has breakthrough designation from the FDA. It’s too soon for doctors to recommend this for everyone with type 2 but those recently diagnosed should ask their doctors.
https://www.diabetesdaily.com/blog/theres-a-new-test-for-pancreatic-cancer-heres-why-it-matters-for-type-2-diabetes-706202/
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Not really news but a lot of social media chatter about a lame diabetes joke this time during Wednesday, the reboot of the Adams Family. Hearing great things about the show but not the diabetes joke. Good time to mention Diatribes d-stigamtize campaign . I’ll link up the website, it’s an effort to collect stories and to come up with action to fight diabetes stigma.
https://www.dstigmatize.org/
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Back to the news in a moment but first..
The T1D Exchange Registry is a research study conducted online over time, designed to foster innovation and improve the lives of people with T1D. The platform is open to both adults and children with T1D living in the U.S. 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. The registry aims to improve knowledge of T1D, accelerate the discovery and development of new treatments and technologies, and generate evidence to support policy or insurance changes that help the T1D community. By sharing opinions, experiences and data, patients can help advance meaningful T1D treatment, care and policy.
The registry is now available on the T1D Exchange website and is simple to navigate, mobile and user-friendly. For more information or to register, go to www.t1dregistry.org/stacey
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Big shout out to friend of the show – and friend of mine – Mike Hoskins. Mike wrote for diabetesmine for many years and still works at the parent company, Healthline. He recently shared a lot of information and feeling about his diabetic retinopathy diagnosis. He goes into detail of what the treatment has been lie, saying that others sharing that with him has helped make it all a bit easier. Its’a wonderful article and I’ll link it up in the show notes.
https://www.healthline.com/health/my-diabetic-retinopathy-diagnosisXX
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Many of you have probably been following Jodan Morris for many years, but just in case.. the 28-year old professional soccer player was diagnosed at age 9. He’s now part of the U.S. Men's National Team that beat Iran this week and moves ahead to the World Cup knock out rounds this weekend. He plays out of Seattle and has started a foundation, Jordan Morris Foundation, to support kids living with Type 1 Diabetes.
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On the podcast next week.. One Drop is making a CGM? We’ll talk to CEO Jeff Dachis about that. Last week’s show was with therapist JoAnne Robb.
Listen wherever you get your podcasts
That’s In the News for this week.. if you like it, please share it! Thanks for joining me! See you back here soon.
It’s in the News.. the top diabetes stories of the past seven days. This week, the first drug to prevent T1D for any length of time is approved, Eli Lilly takes a financial hit from a Twitter impersonation stunt, Medtronic's 7-day pump infusion set is ready for consumers, Dexcom's G7 gets great reviews from older folks and educators for ease of use, a new study about light at night and diabetes and more!
Learn more about the T1D Exchange: www.t1dexchange.com/stacey
Check out Stacey's book: The World's Worst Diabetes Mom!
Join the Diabetes Connections Facebook Group!
Sign up for our newsletter here
Episode Transcription Below (or coming soon!)
Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible!
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.
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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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And by my new book “Still The World's Worst Diabetes Mom: More Real Life Stories of Parenting a Child With Type 1 Diabetes” available on Amazon in paperback and for kindle.
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Our top story this week, the US U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves teplizumab, the first drug to delay the onset of type 1 diabets. We’ve been following this for a long time and I’ll ink up our previous interviews with Provention Bio, the company that makes it. The brand name will be Tzield (teplizumab-mzwv) and it’s an injection to delay the onset of stage 3 type 1 diabetes in adults and pediatric patients 8 years and older who currently have stage 2 type 1 diabetes.
Tzield is administered by intravenous infusion once daily for 14 consecutive days. Lots of questions here and we’ll follow up with an interview and more as soon as I can.
https://diabetes-connections.com/delaying-a-t1d-diagnosis-the-fda-considers-teplizumab/
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Our top story this week – the kerfuffle over on Twitter where a couple of accounts spoofed Ely Lilly. The insulin makers stock tanked 6% over just one day late last week, wiping billions of dollars from its market cap. On Nov.10, someone pretending to be Lilly’s corporate account tweeted: “We are excited to announced insulin is free now.” You may know that Twitter under new owner Elon Musk was verifying any account with any name for just 8-dollars. Another verified but fake Lilly account tweeted profanities and taunted people who use insulin with higher pricing, again, also fake. Other major insulin makers Sanofi and Novo Nordisk were also caught up in the crossfire, with their stock prices dipping and questions over the high cost of insulin back in the headlines.
In the understatement of the year, Lilly CEO David Ricks said – quote – “it probably highlights that we have more work to do to bring down the cost of insulin for more people”
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Mice with diabetes appeared cured after transplantation of insulin-secreting pancreatic islet cells, according to a Stanford Medicine study. The animals’ immune systems were coaxed to accept the donated cells prior to transplantation through a three-pronged process that could be easily replicated in humans, the researchers said. No immune-suppressing treatments were necessary after the transplant to prevent rejection of the foreign islet cells. The technique, which builds on earlier work at Stanford Medicine, may open the door to a new type of organ transplant that doesn’t require an immunologically matched donor or years on immune-suppressing medication. The difference here is that they do two transplants.. first doing a partial blood stem cell transplant which makes the new pancreas cells recognized as the body’s own and less likely to be rejected. Long way to go here, but promising idea.
https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2022/11/islet-transplant-diabetes.html
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The first and only 7-day infusion set is ready to go.. after approval more than a year ago – in September of 2021, Medtronic says customers can now order the Medtronic Extended for the 600 and 700 series pumps.
In clinical studies of the Medtronic Extended infusion set, study participants observed a decrease in the number of times an infusion set needed to be changed by 50% and the number of infusion set failures associated with high glucose levels was lowered.3,4 Study participants using the Medtronic Extended infusion set commented on the new infusion set being more comfortable to wear compared to their previous infusion sets and were happy with the longer wear feature in helping reduce the overall burden of insulin pump therapy.3,4
Additionally, use of the Medtronic Extended infusion set is estimated to result in annual costs savings of insulin of up to 25% due to a reduced number of infusion set and reservoir changes that result in unrecoverable insulin, as well as plastic waste reduction of up to 50%.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/medtronic-launches-worlds-first-and-only-infusion-set-for-insulin-pumps-that-doubles-wear-time-up-to-7-days-in-us-301677790.html
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Recall for omnipod. This is an issue with the Omnipod 5 Controller charging port and cable. This does not impact the Omnipod 5 Pod, the Omnipod® DASH Insulin Management System, the Omnipod® Insulin Management System, or compatible Android smartphone devices that have the Omnipod 5 App installed. No serious injuries have been reported, but insulet has received reports tht the omnipod 5 controller chargting port or cable is discoloring or even melting due to excess heat. Customers are instructed to called insulet or login to an fda site. I’ll link up all of that info in the show notes.
at 1-800-6).
Additional informati41-2049, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Alternatively, Omnipod 5 users can utilize the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online (www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htmExternal Link Disclaimer), by regular mail, or by fax (1-800-FDA-0178on, including instructions to customers to mitigate risk, can be found on the Company’s website at www.omnipod.com/insulet-alertsExternal Link Disclaimer.
https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/insulet-issues-nationwide-voluntary-medical-device-correction-omnipodr-5-controller
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Small study shows that using the Dexcom G7 is easier for older adults to insert and use. Results indicate that G7 CGM system required half as many steps to set up and deploy as the G6 system, with the system’s system usability scale survey scores indicating excellent usability.
The current study was launched to better understand ease of use and task burden of uptake of Dexcom’s G7 CGM system. To do so, investigators designed their study as a formal task analysis with the intent of identifying the number and complexity of tasks associated with deployment of the G7 CGM system compared to the fifth- and sixth-generation systems in adults aged 65 years or older. A cohort of 10 older adults with no prior CGM experience and 10 CDCESs were recruited for inclusion in the investigators’ formal task analysis. This analysis assessed ease of use among CDCESs through a survey after hands-on insertion and initiation of the system. For older adults in the study, ease of use was assessed using system usability scale (SUS) survey scores.
In the post-test survey and SUS survey given to older adults, no responses lower than neutral were recorded and the SUS score for setup and insertion of the G7 system was 92.8, which investigators noted was reflective of an excellent usability rating.
https://www.endocrinologynetwork.com/view/study-finds-dexcom-g7-set-up-is-easier-requires-fewer-tasks-for-older-adults-than-previous-generations
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Control IQ for people with type 2 works well and is safe. New study from Tandem Diabetes Care shows people with type 2 spent 3.6 hours a day long in target range after switching to the tslim x2 pump / Dexcom system from multiple daily injections or basal insulin only
https://www.medtechdive.com/news/tandem-pump-dexcom-CGM-Type-2-diabetes/636448/
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New program from Walgreens to help give more people access to information and diabetes services. Walgreens is teaming up with its Health Corners and third-party clinics to offer free A1C and blood glucose testing and diabetes education during November, Diabetes Awareness Month. For participating locations, visit Walgreens.com/FreeDiabetesScreening and I’ll link that up. Walgreen is the largest provider of continuous glucose monitors including the Dexcom G6 and FreeStyle Libre 2 which track glucose levels all day and night – fewer finger sticks required.
7. Affordable care options and tools including Walgreens Prescription Savings Club and Find Rx Coverage which offer insulin savings programs and affordable, predictable copayments on select insulins. Walgreens Find Care provides access to in-person and virtual healthcare expertise from the comfort of one’s home.
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Sleeping in a room exposed to outdoor artificial light at night may increase the risk of developing diabetes, according to a huge study of nearly 100,000 Chinese adults.
People who lived in areas of China with high light pollution at night were about 28% more likely to develop diabetes than people who lived in the least polluted areas.
We told you about a study published earlier this year that showed Sleeping for only one night with a dim light, such as a TV set with the sound off, raised the blood sugar and heart rate of the young people during the sleep lab experiment.
These researchers caution that any direct link between diabetes and nighttime light pollution is still unclear, however, because living in an urban area is itself a known contributor to the development of diabetes
https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/14/health/night-light-pollution-diabetes-sleep-wellness/index.html
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Researchers are recruiting 20,000 children for a trial to try to identify those at high risk of developing type 1 diabetes.
If left undiagnosed or untreated, the condition can lead to life-threatening complications.
The trial, led by the University of Birmingham, could mean access to new treatments for children at high risk.
The researchers say it may also offer insights that could make screening for type 1 diabetes a possibility.
ADVERTISEMENT
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks and destroys cells in the pancreas which produce insulin.
Insulin is crucial because it moves energy from food from the blood to the cells of the body - without it, the body cannot function properly.
Approximately 29,000 children in the UK currently have type 1 diabetes, out of a total of about 400,000 people. For them, managing the condition involves injecting insulin and testing blood glucose levels regularly.
The condition is very different to type 2 diabetes, which is often linked to poor diet or an unhealthy lifestyle.
The organisers want children aged three to 13 to sign up for the trial, which will analyse their blood - through finger prick and vein tests - for autoantibodies.
These are linked to the development of type 1 diabetes. Those with two or more autoantibodies have an 85% chance of having the condition within 15 years, and are almost certain to develop it in their lifetime.
'A simple test could have saved my son'
Parth Narendran, professor of diabetes medicine, and Dr Lauren Quinn, clinical research fellow at the University of Birmingham, said there was a need to explore if screening children for type 1 diabetes in the UK would be possible in the UK.
"Screening children can reduce their risk of DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis) at diagnosis around fivefold and can help them and their families settle into the type 1 diagnosis better," they said.
DKA is a life-threatening complication of type 1 which can occur when diagnosis does not happen quickly.
Rachel Connor, director of research partnerships at JDRF UK, which is co-funding the study, said new drugs that target the immune system were progressing through trials.
"We are demonstrating that it is possible to delay the need for intensive insulin treatment in those most at risk. When these drugs become available in the UK, we need to be ready to use them straight away," she said.
Dr Elizabeth Robertson, from Diabetes UK, which also funded the study, said: "Extra years without the condition means a childhood no longer lived on a knife-edge of blood sugar checks and insulin injections, free from the relentlessness and emotional burden of type 1 diabetes."
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-63622084
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New study on pancreas transplants. These researchers say Up to 90% of people who received a pancreas transplant enjoy freedom from insulin therapy and the need for close glucose monitoring. Biggest drawback is having to take immunosuppressants for the rest of their life. The number of pancreas transplants has declined in recent years. New paper this week in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Another downside is that this isn’t a long-term cure.. the paper says the median graft survival is around eight years and the transplanted pancreas does not always work well, so the patient might not be completely insulin-free. However, I do believe that the combined kidney/pancreas transplant should be considered for all patients with type 1 diabetes with an indication for a kidney transplant.”
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/type-1-diabetes-the-benefits-and-limitations-of-a-pancreas-transplant
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Medtrnoic sending emails out regarding the CareLink™ Software outages. .
For most of our customers, we were able to resolve the issue relatively quickly through an application fix that took effect when individuals logged out and then logged back into their CareLink™ accounts (reminder of these recommended actions available here). But we know this was not the experience for all, and for some of you the experience was extremely frustrating and lasted longer. Medtnoic is still working to resolve the issue for some customers. They stress this was not because of a security breach but don’t give further details.
https://app.medtronicdib.mdtpatient.com/e/es?s=357929245&e=822474&elqTrackId=b0ce7494b5bd47ad9b9c672c71086a1c&elq=3155b86a3ca045f0a2e27c182f392387&elqaid=7514&elqat=1&fbclid=IwAR1XYIdfEFpkUrdk-yTk6WKSvlsdncJBNrSy_OpdeuJhHXD2zi78WnxaSG8
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Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) were found to be at higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes over a 30-year period, according to new research presented at the 2022 American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Scientific Congress & Expo, and described in an article at Healio.
PCOS is a hormonal disorder that causes enlarged ovaries containing small fluid-filled sacs, and it can have painful symptoms. Hormonal changes related to PCOS can also have effects throughout the body — including effects related to diabetes. One study estimated that nearly one in five adolescent girls with type 2 diabetes also has PCOS, although the nature of the link between PCOS and diabetes is still not fully understood. Many scientists believe, though, that insulin resistance — when tissues in the body become less sensitive to insulin, which is a large part of the disease process in type 2 diabetes — also plays a role in the development of PCOS. There is also evidence that correcting the hormonal imbalances seen in PCOS may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. A recent study showed that taking oral birth control pills as a treatment for PCOS reduced the risk for type 2 diabetes.
https://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/news-research/2022/11/16/polycystic-ovary-syndrome-linked-to-higher-risk-for-type-2-diabetes/
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Back to the news in a moment but first..
The T1D Exchange Registry is a research study conducted online over time, designed to foster innovation and improve the lives of people with T1D. The platform is open to both adults and children with T1D living in the U.S. 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. The registry aims to improve knowledge of T1D, accelerate the discovery and development of new treatments and technologies, and generate evidence to support policy or insurance changes that help the T1D community. By sharing opinions, experiences and data, patients can help advance meaningful T1D treatment, care and policy.
The registry is now available on the T1D Exchange website and is simple to navigate, mobile and user-friendly. For more information or to register, go to www.t1dregistry.org/stacey
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SAFE TRAVELS to all en route to San Francisco for the Fall 2022 #Diabetes Mine #Innovation Days. Can't wait to see u all in person! Nov 17 and 18
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On the podcast next week.. My daughter Lea talks about siblings and type 1. Last week was all about Eversense E3 and the future of long-term CGM sensors.
Listen wherever you get your podcasts
That’s In the News for this week.. if you like it, please share it! Thanks for joining me! See you back here soon.
It's in the News.. the top diabetes stories of the past seven days. This week, one state caps not just insulin prices, but diabetes supplies for some, Lilly is out with a new integrated pen system, new study look at DKA at diagnosis of type 1 and what that means for health issues later on, and more!
Learn more about the T1D Exchange: www.t1dexchange.org/stacey
Check out Stacey's book: The World's Worst Diabetes Mom!
Join the Diabetes Connections Facebook Group!
Sign up for our newsletter here
Episode Transcription Below (or coming soon!)
Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible!
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.
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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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And by my new book “Still The World's Worst Diabetes Mom: More Real Life Stories of Parenting a Child With Type 1 Diabetes” available on Amazon now.
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Delaware Governor John Carney last month signed Senate Bill 316, which will cap the monthly cost of diabetes supplies and equipment at $35 for those on state insurance plans. This law will make blood glucose meters and strips, urine testing strips, syringes, continuous glucose monitors (CGM) and supplies, and insulin pump, and pump supplies more affordable and accessible.
Senate Bill 316 will apply to state-regulated health plans and state employee plans, which will take effect in 2023 and 2024, respectively. The $35 per month cap includes deductible payments and cost-sharing amounts charged once a deductible is met. The cap does not, however, apply to high deductible health plans or catastrophic health plans.
Although much of the conversation about diabetes costs focuses on insulin, diabetes supplies are also a significant cost for people with diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), people with diabetes have medical expenses of about 2.3 times higher than those without diabetes.
Diabetes supplies account for about 15 percent of diabetes medical expenses. On average, people with diabetes, even those with private insurance, spend $490 out-of-pocket on diabetes-related supplies each year.
https://diatribe.org/delaware-caps-monthly-cost-diabetes-supplies-35
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New report estimates 1 point 3 million adults with diabetes have rationed their use of insulin within the last year. That’s 16.5 percent of everyone who’s been prescribed insulin. We told you about this report published last month in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. It’s getting more attention – and it should – as the Washington Post picked it up for a series of reports their doing on health stats. The report attributes the rationing to the cost of the drug and what it describes as “inadequate” insurance coverage. The price of the four most popular types of insulin has tripled in the past decade, according to the American Diabetes Association.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2022/11/08/diabetes-insulin-rationing/
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One of the insulin makers will begin rolling out a new diabetes management platform in the next few weeks. Lilly is launching the Tempo platform, which includes prefilled, disposable Tempo Pens for insulin delivery with the compatible TempoSmart mobile app and the Tempo Smart Button, which is designed to track the pens’ insulin dosages.The Tempo Smart Button was cleared by the FDA in mid-September, Lilly said in this week’s announcement. When attached to the top of a Tempo insulin pen, it takes in and stores insulin dosing data, then automatically transfers that information to the TempoSmart app.
TempoSmart can connect to a variety of other devices and apps, like Dexcom’s continuous glucose monitors and Lilly’s own blood glucose monitor, among others, but also from more general health-tracking wearables like those from Fitbit, Garmin, Google and Apple.
https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/eli-lilly-lines-launch-diabetes-management-platform-tracks-insulin-pen-use-blood-sugar
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New research at Georgia Tech shows promise in beta cell transplantation without having to take additional immunosuppressive drugs. This is cell therapy with a new biomaterial called iTol-100. That’s the basis of a new startup called iTolerance. Long way to go here but a lot of promise for many other conditions as well at type 1. This is less cell encapsulation, as other companies are working toward, but it’s more of a soft material that can mix right with the cells at the time of transplant. This research started with a three year grant from JDRF.
https://www.research.gatech.edu/new-startup-develops-potential-cure-type-1-diabetes
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Not a big surprise, but children diagnosed while in DKA can increase the risk of health issues later on. These issues can include extended stays in hospital, poorer long-term control of blood sugar levels, and even a higher mortality rate.
The authors of the study point out that providing a comprehensive explanation of the classic symptoms of T1D in childhood to the general public, those active in the childcare or daycare settings, and primary care physicians could help raise awareness of the symptoms of T1D. Furthermore, public health measures could be used, e.g., implementing a general islet-cell autoantibodies screening program for children to reduce the number of dangerous metabolic imbalances.
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20221108/Study-highlights-the-need-for-early-and-timely-diagnosis-of-type-1-diabetes-in-children-and-adolescents.aspx
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New weekly injection for type 2 had some promising results, helping people meet blood glucose goals 4-12 weeks earlier than those taking traditional medications. The new medication is called Tirzepatide brand name Mounjaro, and it helped people meet weight loss and blood glucose targets four weeks sooner than semaglutide, which is branded as Ozempic or Wegovy and between four and 12 weeks thatn those treated with once daily long acting insulin like Tresiba.
https://scitechdaily.com/a-new-and-improved-diabetes-drug/
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Quick clarification from last week! I mentioned a study showing that people with type 1 see good results from taking GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT 2 inhibitors, two types of drugs approved for type 2. I had said that both also increased the risk of DKA. That’s not true.. I got it wrong. Only SGLT 2 inhibitors seem to increase that risk. The GLP-1 medicines have brand names like Ozempic or Trulicity and the SGLT-2 are Invokana or Jardiance.
https://www.medwirenews.com/diabetes/real-world-adjunctive-medication-outcomes-type-1-diabetes/23662504
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Back to the news in a moment but first..
The T1D Exchange Registry is a research study conducted online over time, designed to foster innovation and improve the lives of people with T1D. The platform is open to both adults and children with T1D living in the U.S. 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. The registry aims to improve knowledge of T1D, accelerate the discovery and development of new treatments and technologies, and generate evidence to support policy or insurance changes that help the T1D community. By sharing opinions, experiences and data, patients can help advance meaningful T1D treatment, care and policy.
The registry is now available on the T1D Exchange website and is simple to navigate, mobile and user-friendly. For more information or to register, go to www.t1dregistry.org/stacey
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On the podcast next week.. Tom from Type One Talks
The past episode was all about thinking through your use of CGM, questions to ask of yourself, your family and anyone with whom you plan to share.
Listen wherever you get your podcasts
That’s In the News for this week.. if you like it, please share it! Thanks for joining me! See you back here soon.
It's in the News.. the top diabetes stories of the past seven days. This week: new research looks at off-label use of GLP and SGLT drugs for people with type 1, Medtronic gets 780G approval in Canada, finger prick early detection of type 1, and lots going on for Diabetes Awareness Month.
Check out Stacey's book: The World's Worst Diabetes Mom!
Join the Diabetes Connections Facebook Group!
Sign up for our newsletter here
Episode Transcription Below (or coming soon!)
Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible!
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.
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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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And by my new book “Still The World's Worst Diabetes Mom: More Real Life Stories of Parenting a Child With Type 1 Diabetes” available on Amazon now.
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Our top story this week,
Researchers say a blood test for early diagnosis of type 1 diabetes can stave off serious illness and hospitalization in children. This Australian study looked at the finger prick sample that is collected in the home and mailed to the lab. It included more than 17-thousand children and young adults, mostly in families with a history of type 1. The team of researchers are the first to use this method to screen diabetes in Australia. They said, We want to make type 1 diabetes screening accessible to every Australian child no matter where they live. Our recent work has proven that we can do this cheaply, accurately, and conveniently,"
The study is published in Pediatric Diabetes.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-11-home-screening-diabetes.html
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Medtronic gets the okay from Canada for it’s MiniMed 780G system. It’s now available in more than 60 countries around the world, with the U.S. notably missing from the list. Current 770G users will be able to upgrade their devices with the new system’s software. The MiniMed 780G is equipped with Medtronic’s SmartGuard technology, a hybrid closed-loop system what works with Medronic’s CGM. It’s approved for ages 7-80. Medtnoic submitted to the FDA in the spring of 2021, nearly a year after securing CE mark approval in Europe.
The U.S. sign-off has been slow to arrive, however, thanks in large part to the FDA’s discovery of quality control issues at the California headquarters of Medtronic’s diabetes business. A December 2021 letter from the agency outlined shortfalls it discovered at the Los Angeles-area facility in a routine inspection, prompting Medtronic to implement corrective actions and other process improvements to address the issues.
https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/still-awaiting-us-approval-medtronics-auto-adjusting-insulin-pump-lands-canadian-nod
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People with type 1 diabetes who take GLP-1 receptor agonists or SGLT-2 inhibitors in real life seem to line up with controlled trials. The GLP-1 medicines have brand names like Ozempic or Trulicity and the SGLT-2 are Invokana or Jardiance. These are newer medications and people with type 1 are cautioned to take them carefully because of the higher risk of DKA. However, these researchers say after 12 months of use people taking a GLP-1 receptor agonist had a significant reduction in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), from an average of 7.7% to 7.3% (61 to 56 mmol/mol), as well as in bodyweight, from an average of 90.4 to 85.4 kg. and they used less insulin overall.
SGLT2 inhibitors were used by 39 study participants for an average duration of 24.2 months, mostly with the intent to achieve better glycemic control (73.3%), but also for weight loss (37.8%), reduced insulin requirements (26.7%), and reduced glucose variability (24.4%). Also, about 12% of users initiated SGLT2 inhibitors for their beneficial cardiovascular or renal properties.
In line with clinical trial findings, these real-world users had significant reductions in average HbA1c after 12 months of use, from 7.9% to 7.3% (63 to 56 mmol/mol), and in basal insulin dose, from a daily average of 31.3 to 25.6 units, but not in bolus insulin.
And contrary to the results of controlled trials, although SGLT2 inhibitor users had a weight reduction, this was small and not statistically significant, at an average of 89.2 and 87.5 kg before and after 12 months, respectively.
https://www.medwirenews.com/diabetes/real-world-adjunctive-medication-outcomes-type-1-diabetes/23662504
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Taking a personalized approach to kidney disease screening for people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) may reduce the time that chronic kidney disease (CKD) goes undetected. The finding, published in Diabetes Care(link is external), provides the basis for the first evidence-based kidney screening model for people with T1D.
Current CKD screening recommendations include annual urinary albumin excretion rate (AER) testing for anyone who has had T1D for at least five years. The new findings suggest that AER screening could be personalized to optimize testing frequency and early detection of CKD. Specifically, people with T1D who are at low risk of developing CKD could be tested for AER less frequently to reduce burden and cost, and those at high risk for CKD could be tested more frequently to facilitate earlier CKD detection. People with T1D have an estimated 50% risk of developing CKD over their lifetime. Important to note, these numbers and this study is based on 30 years of data, dating back to the landmark DCCT trial.
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-funded-study-finds-personalized-kidney-screening-people-type-1-diabetes-could-reduce-costs-detect-disease-earlier
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Lots of stuff happening for diabetes awareness month. Embecta Corp. (“embecta”) (Nasdaq: EMBC), one of the largest pure-play diabetes care companies in the world, today announced it will ring the opening bell at Nasdaq on November 1, 2022, in recognition of National Diabetes Awareness Month.
“We are proud to celebrate this year’s Diabetes Awareness Month by ringing the Nasdaq Opening Bell with representatives of several organizations that make diabetes, and supporting the people who are living with diabetes, their sole focus,” said Devdatt “Dev” Kurdikar, president and chief executive officer of embecta. “Our company is honored to recognize the patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, and advocacy organizations working together to improve access to education and progress toward the vision of a life unlimited by diabetes.”
embecta also recognizes the 100-year milestone of the first successful injection of insulin that was administered to a person with diabetes. Today, 1 in 10 adults around the world live with diabetes1, an estimated 537 million people, and almost half don’t know they have it.
“Our community often faces stigma and isolation associated with diabetes as we frequently practice self-management of the disease,” said Anna Norton, chief executive officer of DiabetesSisters. “Increased access to education and resources that will improve the standard of care and quality of life across the community is essential, and we’re proud to stand with embecta to share in this mission.”
The bell ringing ceremony will be streamed live via Nasdaq’s Facebook page. Additionally, highlights from the ceremony will be shared across embecta’s social media channels. Please visit embecta.com for additional information regarding Diabetes Awareness Month.
About embecta
embecta, formerly part of BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), is one of the largest pure-play diabetes care companies in the world, leveraging its nearly 100-year legacy in insulin delivery to empower people with diabetes to live their best life through innovative solutions, partnerships and the passion of more than 2,000 employees around the globe. For more information, visit embecta.com.
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Dexcom has teamed up with ESPN’s Adam Schefter – his wife has type 1 – to launch Dexcom U, the first-ever NIL (name, image, likeness) program designed to celebrate college athletes with diabetes and inspire people with diabetes who have athletic dreams of their own. NIL is name image likeness, it’s the new program that allows college athetes to be paid. Dexcom says According to a recent study, nearly half (43%) of adults with Type 1 diabetes felt like quitting sports and physical activities because of their diagnosis, and one in five (20%) went through with quitting. These athletes tell their stories and how Dexcom helps them. I’ll link up the video and we are set to speak with some of them in the next couple of weeks.
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A new study released by the American Diabetes Association® (ADA), illustrates the significant barriers that low-income Americans, people of color, older Americans, and people with diabetes living in states with the highest prevalence of the disease face in accessing continuous glucose monitors (CGM). These barriers are especially high for Americans on Medicaid, who are the least likely to have access to a CGM. CGMs continually monitor blood glucose (blood sugar), giving real-time updates. The devices provide significant, potentially life-changing benefits for diabetes management, and in turn for the avoidance or delay of serious co-morbidities, hospitalizations, and even death.
“It is disappointing to see that access to vital diabetes management tools like CGMs often depends on your income, the color of your skin, your age, and where you live,” said Dr. Robert Gabbay, chief scientific and medical officer at the ADA. "The ADA is committed to addressing access barriers—such as inadequate health insurance coverage, steep Medicare and Medicaid coverage requirements, and physician shortages—to ensure that everyone who can benefit from a CGM can get one.”
The ADA is working with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, state Medicaid programs, and Congress to eliminate barriers people face in accessing diabetes technology like CGMs. The CGM study is available on the ADA’s website.
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Diabetes on Nasdaq
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Great start to a blog post by Tim Street, he writes over at DiabeticTech. He’s trying out 6 CGMs currently on the market.
Dexcom ONE
Medtrum Nano
Dexcom G6
Glucomen Day
GlucoRX Aidex
Freestyle Libre2
You can check out his blog to see the photos of him wearing all of the CGMs and hear his methods for testing.
https://www.diabettech.com/cgm/unboxing-and-applying-the-six-cgms/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook
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Dexcom also has a See Diabetes campaign for this month which gives you a chance to create your own overlay patch. I’ve created one for the show, you can it on social along with others with the #SeeDiabetes hashtag. Patti LaBelle, Mark Andrews and Nick Jonas are taking part.. If you design an overlay – I’ll put the link in the show notes – you may be order a few for free – they’re saying limited supply. A cynic would say this is a creative way to use up the G6 overlay patches before the G7 comes out but.. personally I think it’s a really creative and fun idea. I like how mu patch came out, but I doubt my son will wear it!
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Back to the news in a moment but first..
The T1D Exchange Registry is a research study conducted online over time, designed to foster innovation and improve the lives of people with T1D. The platform is open to both adults and children with T1D living in the U.S. 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. The registry aims to improve knowledge of T1D, accelerate the discovery and development of new treatments and technologies, and generate evidence to support policy or insurance changes that help the T1D community. By sharing opinions, experiences and data, patients can help advance meaningful T1D treatment, care and policy.
The registry is now available on the T1D Exchange website and is simple to navigate, mobile and user-friendly. For more information or to register, go to www.t1dregistry.org/stacey
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On the podcast next week.. Tom from Type One Talks
The past episode was all about thinking through your use of CGM, questions to ask of yourself, your family and anyone with whom you plan to share.
Listen wherever you get your podcasts
That’s In the News for this week.. if you like it, please share it! Thanks for joining me! See you back here soon.
It’s It’s “In the News…” a look at the top diabetes stories and headlines of the past seven days. This week: a troubling new study about how many people with diabetes ration insulin, a new study looks at OpenAPS compared to traditional pumps, more research on Beta Bionics' iLet pump, an old diabetes drug might help in the fight against dementia, and more!
Learn more about the T1D Exchange: https://t1dexchange.org/stacey/
Check out Stacey's book: The World's Worst Diabetes Mom!
Join the Diabetes Connections Facebook Group!
Sign up for our newsletter here
Episode Transcription Below (or coming soon!)
Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible!
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.
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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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A new study shows nearly 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. with diabetes either skipped, delayed or used less insulin than was needed to save money. That comes out to roughly 1.3 million adults, or 16.5% of those who need insulin. The findings were based on data from the 2021 National Health Interview Survey, which is conducted annually by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and which interviews tens of thousands of Americans about their health-related experiences. It was the first time that the CDC had included questions about insulin use, though concerns about sky-high insulin prices have been reported for years.
Starting Jan. 1, the Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden in August, will cap the monthly cost of insulin at $35 for seniors on Medicare. The bill, however, will leave out millions of Americans with private health insurance as well as those who are uninsured. It was also found to be more common among people with type 1 diabetes, at 18.6%, compared to those with type 2 diabetes, at 15.8%
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/insulin-prices-many-adults-diabetes-ration-insulin-study-finds-rcna52287?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma
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New islet cell transplant study looks very promising. Long term outcomes of two phase 3 clinical trials shows many patients didn’t need insulin to maintain their blood sugar for up to eight years. It also showed that a new approach required fewer transplants than typical and was exceedingly safe. These trials included people who had kidney transplants and showed islet cell transplants for those people was safe and effective.
75 percent who initially were able to come off insulin therapy, more than half maintained total insulin independence, meaning they needed no additional insulin injections throughout the years of follow-up.
https://www.pennmedicine.org/news/news-releases/2022/october/new-islet-transplant-method-leads-to-insulin-independence
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Study out of New Zealand looked at DIY diabetes tech and compared to some commercial offerings. Not sure what they were tyring to prvoe here because they looked at a closed loop system OpenAPS and compared it to a regular old pump and CGM system with no automation. No surprisingly, the people with type 1 in the AID group had much more time in range – about 14 percent more – than those using a standalone pump and CGM. No severe lows or DKA in either group. But these days, IMO, looking at an automated insulin delivery system to a pump and CGM that don’t communicate is like comparing apples and chain saws.
https://www.medtechdive.com/news/do-it-yourself-artificial-pancreas-diabetes/633888/
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More good news for the iLet Bionic Pancreas. A clinical trial, conducted at 16 clinical sites across the United States, enrolled 326 participants ages 6 to 79 years who had type 1 diabetes and had been using insulin for at least 1 year.
Participants were randomly allocated to a treatment group using the bionic pancreas or a standard-of-care control group that continued with their pre-trial method of glucose monitoring and insulin dosing.
In participants using the bionic pancreas, A1C improved from 7.9% to 7.3%, yet remained unchanged among the control group. The iLet doesn’t use carb counting – just meal announcements and it sets basal rates with just the user’s body weight. It’s currently in front of the US FDA, awaiting approval.
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Insulet issued an urgent medical device correction on Monday related to battery problems with a component of its Omnipod DASH system.
The device uses a wearable insulin pod that’s controlled by a personal diabetes manager (PDM), a smartphone-like device that does the calculations for bolus insulin doses.
Insulet plans to replace the PDMs for all of its current Omnipod DASH users globally, incurring an aggregate charge of $35 million to $45 million, J.P. Morgan Analyst Robbie Marcus wrote in a Monday research note.
Insulet said it received reports of some Omnipod DASH users having battery problems with their PDM devices, including the battery swelling, fluid leaking from the battery, and in rare cases, extreme overheating. In a letter to users, the company said it plans to ship updated devices to all current Omnipod DASH customers in the coming months.
The battery issue applies to all of Insulet’s Omnipod DASH PDMs, but the likelihood of problems may increase if the device has been in use longer than 18 months. Charging the device to a full battery and leaving it on the charger overnight also increases the risk.
So far, Insulet said it has not received reports of any injuries related to the battery issues.
The company advised patients to monitor their PDMs for battery problems, including a bulging back cover and the device losing its charge very quickly, overheating or emitting an odor.
If patients notice any of these problems, they should not charge the device, stop using the system and switch to a backup insulin plan as soon as they can. Users can also contact Insulet for a temporary replacement device.
https://www.medtechdive.com/news/insulet-battery-problems-omnipod-dash/634275/
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MDT) announced today that it introduced a new diabetes management program for users of the MiniMed 770G insulin pump.
The medtech giant calls the new program My Insights. It designed it exclusively for individuals using the MiniMed 770G hybrid closed-loop insulin delivery system.
Using an individual’s data, My Insight provides personalized tips, trends and reminders to help customers manage their diabetes. Its personalized recommendations come through via monthly emails with educational content. Medtronic aims to make the content relevant based on what the individual experiences.
Medtronic said it represents the first diabetes management program to go beyond “generalized tips.” Instead, it offers personalized suggestions using data from the integrated insulin pump system.
The company said it made My Insights available in the U.S. to anyone using MiniMed 770G.
https://www.drugdeliverybusiness.com/medtronic-launches-diabetes-insights-program-for-minimed-users/
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Some countries are seeing shortages of Ozempic, a weekly injectable meant for people with diabetes but can be prescribe off label for weight loss. Demand has gone way up since some Tik Tok and social media influencers have shared Ozempic as a weight loss drug. Diabetes groups and especially Australian advocacy groups have advised doctors to limit prescribing the drug to people with Type 2 diabetes.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-17/ozempic-weight-loss-demand-type-2-diabetes-drug-shortage/101542226
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Back to the news in a moment but first..
The T1D Exchange Registry is a research study conducted online over time, designed to foster innovation and improve the lives of people with T1D. The platform is open to both adults and children with T1D living in the U.S. 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. The registry aims to improve knowledge of T1D, accelerate the discovery and development of new treatments and technologies, and generate evidence to support policy or insurance changes that help the T1D community. By sharing opinions, experiences and data, patients can help advance meaningful T1D treatment, care and policy.
The registry is now available on the T1D Exchange website and is simple to navigate, mobile and user-friendly. For more information or to register, go to www.t1dregistry.org/stacey
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New research shows an older drug for type 2 might help reduce the risk for dementia. People with diabetes are at higher risk of developing dementia. These researchers looked though 500-hundred thousand past medical records and found that an older class of type 2 diabetes medication known as glitazones helps reduce a person’s dementia risk by 22%. These reerahres say its very promising but they want to see more real world study and also combine glitazones with other types of treatments
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/type-2-diabetes-drug-may-help-lower-dementia-risk-by-22
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On the podcast next week.. Kerri Sparling from SixUntilMe
The past episode was all about teens and type 1 – a deep dive into why teen retreats work from the people who organize a great one.. and how adults with type 1 still use the lessons they learned as teens.
Listen wherever you get your podcasts
That’s In the News for this week.. if you like it, please share it! Thanks for joining me! See you back here soon.