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.
