Daily realities of diabetic patients

With 51% of physicians reporting that prior authorizations (PAs) for prescribed branded and specialty medications have significantly expanded over the last five years, PA requirements continue to be a major hurdle for patients and healthcare providers (HCPs) alike.

Obesity is a disease, and America’s healthcare providers and hospital systems must be part of changing how we treat it. That means many of us in the health ecosystem must reexamine how we view patients with excess weight.

The second quarter of 2022 kicked off with a new life sciences company joining the public markets, but not via an IPO or merger. Becton Dickinson on Friday completed the spinoff of its diabetes care business, Embecta, which now trades on the Nasdaq.

Diabetes-focused life sciences company Zucara Therapeutics released preclinical findings on a daily therapy to slow and prevent plummeting blood glucose levels in Type 1 diabetes patients. The results were published in the peer-reviewed journal, Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. Dubbed ZT-01, it could in theory restore the body's ability to release glucagon, an essential component of blood glucose level regulation.

We propose a prototype for a dashboard summary report of glucose, insulin, meals, and activity data intended for providers and patients on MDI using connected pens and CGM. Our goal is to stimulate development of a standardized approach.

The randomized study recruited 175 adults who were taking a longer-acting basal insulin, meaning they would only take it once or twice per day. Those who used a CGM for eight months saw their hemoglobin A1C levels decrease from 9.1% to 8%.

Gut bacteria may act on the gut-brain axis to alter appetite control and brain function as part of the genesis of eating disorders. The gut-brain axis, connected via neural, hormonal, and immunological pathways, is a bi-directional communication system that is initially recognized for its role in regulating digestive function and food intake.

Not only do people with depression have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, people with type 2 diabetes are more likely to develop depression after diagnosis.

Walmart has announced a new private brand of analog insulin, the first of its kind, designed to overcome common impediments, like affordability of and access to diabetes care, especially for those without health insurance, according to a Tuesday press release shared on the company's official website. The new plan went into effect this week, and includes FexPen, which goes for $85.88, and analog insulin vials, sold at $72.88. Both products are only available through Walmart's proprietary ReliOn brand, and could save customers up to $101 per vial or $251 per package of FlexPens — a savings of 58% to 75% — read the press release.

Unlike other companies with app-based coaching programs for managing diabetes, such as Livongo and Omada, Virta’s is based on restricting carbohydrates. Users are sent equipment, such as a connected scale, blood glucose and ketone testing strips, and enter their weight and blood sugar data.

EPFL spin-off Readily3D has developed a novel system that can print biological tissue in just 30 seconds. The firm's technology is being used in a large-scale European project to develop a living model of the pancreas for testing new drugs.

Biocorp, société française spécialisée dans le développement et la fabrication de dispositifs médicaux et de solutions connectées dans le domaine de la santé, vient d'annoncer la signature de deux nouveaux accords avec le taiwanais Health2Sync et l’espagnol SocialDiabetes. Ces deux partenariats portent sur l’intégration de Mallya, dispositif connecté dédié aux stylos à insuline, aux applications digitales développées par Health2Sync et SocialDiabetes afin d’améliorer la qualité de soins des patients diabétiques.

There are several factors to consider when determining if insulin is the right treatment option for a patient with type 2 diabetes. And once a patient is prescribed insulin therapy, it’s just as important to consider the factors that might lead to nonadherence. That’s why Dr. Charles Turck speaks with Dr. Javier Morales about those factors and how we can improve our patients’ adherence to their insulin regimens.

The researchers saw that the risk of developing diabetes rose as COVID-19 severity increased. When compared to people who did not have COVID-19 and were not hospitalized or admitted to intensive care, those who were hospitalized or admitted to intensive care had roughly four times the risk.

The Diabetes Self-Management Program (DSMP) is a six-week group program for people with type 2 diabetes and is designed to help participants manage their diabetes symptoms including tiredness, pain, and emotional issues by helping them learn skills to better manage their diabetes day-to-day like action planning, problem-solving and decision making. This program is also beneficial for caregivers and are encouraged to enroll. DSMP is an evidence-based program developed at Stanford University and now managed by the Self-Management Resource Center. Participants will receive a free Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions book and a relaxation CD/MP3 for enrolling.

A new treatment using stem cells that produce insulin has surprised experts and given them hope for the 1.5 million Americans living with the disease.

Researchers create new five-module CAR-T cell that shows potential against Type 1 diabetes.

The 5MCar cells were tested in a study in experimental T1D mouse models. When the biomimetic cells were adoptively transferred to the mice, the manifestation of T1D was prevented due to targeting of autoimmune CD4+ T cells. The results of the study show that T cells that express 5MCar can effectively destroy pathogenic autoimmune T cells and prevent the development of T1D. Also, the biomimetic design enhances sensitivity and may improve the toxicity profile seen with convention CAR-T designs. Further studies can determine if this approach is a safe and effective immunotherapy for humans with T1D and other aberrant T-cell–induced disorders.

The study met both primary endpoints with Soliqua demonstrating noninferiority of blood sugar (HbA1c) reduction and superiority on body weight change from baseline compared to premixed insulin. The study also met its key secondary endpoints with Soliqua achieving a greater proportion of people reaching a HbA1c target of <7% without weight gain, a greater proportion of people reaching a HbA1c target of <7% without weight gain and without hypoglycemia, and superiority in reduction of HbA1c compared with those using premixed insulin.

Unfortunately, while the A1c differences between the two groups were significantly different at 6, 9, and 12 months after diagnosis, the average A1c level was still at or above 7%, for a considerable proportion of learn about participants. These results underscore the value of CGM use in improving diabetes management in young people, but also demonstrate the require for more effective management strategies in this group.

It’s stretchable, like a band-aid, waterproof, and long lasting. In today’s Medical Moment, how this small patch may soon take the place of invasive health monitors. For many diabetics, daily monitoring of blood sugar means a finger prick. But what if there was a better way?

The price Americans pay for insulin is more than ten times higher than the average price in 32 other countries combined.

We find that the costs attributed to type 1 diabetes are disproportionately higher than the number of type 1 patients compared with type 2 patients, suggesting that combining the two diseases when estimating costs is not appropriate. This study and another recent contribution provides a necessary first step in estimating the substantial costs of type 1 diabetes on the U.S.

The two will collaborate on a new version of Welldoc’s long-running BlueStar diabetes management app, to include dosing data for several insulins produced by Lilly, ahead of the Big Pharma’s future launch of its connected insulin pen.
The BlueStar app has been cleared by the FDA for adults with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, offering insulin titration support, a bolus calculator and personalized health coaching. It is designed to integrate with a range of blood sugar readers and continuous glucose monitoring systems.