In the News... weekly basal + semaglutide, liver targeted insulin, Lance Bass educates about LADA, and more!

It’s In the News! A look at the top diabetes stories and headlines happening now. Top stories this week: A weekly basal plus semaglutide is in the works, but not for the US right now, Tandem updates it's app recall, liver targeted insulin study, a weird walking story, and Lance Bass educates about LADA. 

Find out more about Moms' Night Out 

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

Learn more about Gvoke Glucagon Gvoke HypoPen® (glucagon injection): Glucagon Injection For Very Low Blood Sugar (gvokeglucagon.com)

Omnipod - Simplify Life

Learn about Dexcom 

Edgepark Medical Supplies

Check out VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures

Learn more about AG1 from Athletic Greens 

Drive research that matters through the T1D Exchange

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

Sign up for our newsletter here

Here's where to find us:

Facebook (Group)

Facebook (Page)

Instagram

Twitter

Check out Stacey's books!

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

Reach out with questions or comments: [e-mail]

Episode transcription with links:

Hello and welcome to Diabetes Connections In the News! I’m Stacey Simms and every other Friday I bring you a short episode with the top diabetes stories and headlines happening now.

XX

Novo Nordisk moves ahead with a new combination: once-weekly insulin icodec and semaglutide. Called IcoSema, Novo plans to submit for approval in Europe, Canada, Japan and Australia but NOT the US.

As we told you earlier this summer, icodec – once weeky basal insulin – was not approved by the US FDA.

Semaglutide is the molecule underpinning Novo’s immensely popular GLP-1 drugs Ozempic and Wegovy. Icodec has been approved as Awiqli in places like Europe, Canada, Japan and Australia but was snubbed by the FDA last month.

The FDA has left the door open for another application, but Novo says they don’t expect to iron it out this year.

In studies, the combination worked well to lower A1C for people with type 2 and they lost weight. They also had fewer lows.

https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/corrected-after-icodec-rejection-novo-nordisk-wont-file-application-once-weekly-insulin-and

 

XX

An update from Tandm on their app recall. Back in March they notified users of the recall because of an issue that can cause rapid depletion of a user’s t:slim X2 insulin pump battery. This battery depletion can result in the pump shutting down sooner than expected, which some customers have continued to experience even after an updated version of the app was released.

Notices were emailed to impacted customers on August 9, 2024 with updated information and recommendations for helping avoid pump battery depletion. Tandem plans to release a new version of the app to address the remaining issues and will notify all users by email and app push notifications following its release.

Impacted customers in the U.S. with questions about this recall can contact the Tandem Diabetes Care Technical Support Team 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at [e-mail] or [phone].

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240812040222/en/Tandem-Diabetes-Care-Provides-Update-on-March-2024-Nationwide-Recall-of-tconnect-Mobile-App-for-iOS-Devices

XX

If you are an adult who has type 1 diabetes, you may be eligible to participate in a trial examining the impact of an investigational liver-targeted insulin on blood glucose control, A1C, and nighttime lows.

This study is researching whether administering a liver-targeting insulin called HDV-L insulin (Hepatocyte-directed Vesicles-insulin lispro), will improve glycemic control.

HDV-L insulin is designed to act on the liver to enhance glucose storage and decrease the frequency of severe hypoglycemia in individuals requiring insulin. It is not currently approved for use.

For this trial, researchers are recruiting roughly 230 adults with type 1 diabetes aged 18-79 who are on multiple daily injections (MDI).

This study is recruiting in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas. To enroll or learn more about this study, contact Todd Hobbs, MD at Diasome Pharmaceuticals at [e-mail] or call 216-780-9324.

Clinical Trials Identifier: NCT06238778

https://diatribe.org/diabetes-research/new-study-tests-liver-targeted-insulin-type-1-diabetes

XX

Sanofi is investing heavily to boost insulin production. They opened a new facility in Germany for the basal insulin Lantus and they announced they will invest over one billion dollars to expand production capacity in France.

Sanofi’s considerable investment in insulin production is especially important given that other insulin companies appear to be focusing their efforts on production of GLP-1 medications like Mounjaro and Ozempic, rather than insulin. This has left some patients worried that Novo Nordisk and Lilly will leave them behind to pursue more lucrative products for weight loss, especially after Novo Nordisk decided to discontinue the basal insulin Levemir.

https://diatribe.org/diabetes-medications/sanofi-build-new-state-art-insulin-plant

 

XX

Hoping to talk to Abbott and Medtronic soon about their partnership announced earlier this month. The companies announced that Abbot will create an integrated continuous glucose monitor that works only with Medtronic’s diabetes technology and be sold exclusively by Medtronic.

Along with announcing the partnership, Medtronic said Wednesday it received FDA approval for its Simplera CGM, which does not require fingersticks or overtape, unlike the company’s previous sensors.

The Simplera Sync sensor, which is designed to work with Medtronic’s automated insulin delivery algorithm, is under FDA review separately.

https://www.medtechdive.com/news/abbott-medtronic-partnership-automated-insulin-delivery/723600/

XX

Researchers have developed a novel computer algorithm that can predict various diseases like diabetes or stroke, just by analysing the colour of the human tongue with 98 per cent accuracy.

The imaging system developed by Middle Technical University (MTU) and the University of South Australia (UniSA) in Australia can diagnose conditions such as diabetes, stroke, anaemia, asthma, liver and gallbladder issues, Covid-19, and other vascular and gastrointestinal diseases.

"The colour, shape, and thickness of the tongue can reveal a litany of health conditions," said Ali Al-Naji, adjunct Associate Professor at MTU and UniSA.

The paper published in Technologies describes how the system analyses tongue colour to provide real-time diagnoses, demonstrating that AI can advance medical practices significantly.

The breakthrough was achieved through a series of experiments using 5,260 images to train machine-learning algorithms to detect tongue colour.

Researchers received 60 tongue images from two teaching hospitals in the Middle East, representing patients with diverse health conditions. The AI model matched tongue colour with the correct disease in nearly all cases.

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/new-algorithm-analyses-tongue-to-predict-diabetes-stroke-with-98-accuracy-6327124

XX

Big roundup article from the UK Guardian all about 6 projects all around smart insulin. Not a lot new here, but it caused a lot of chatter. I’ll link it up – good summary of all of the research happening in the space right now. Glucose-responsive insulin is the idea that you could give one injection and the insulin would respond to the rise and fall of glucose levels without further action by the person.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/aug/11/scientists-hail-smart-insulin-responds-changing-blood-sugar-levels-real-time-diabetes

XX

Edgepark Commercial

XX

Lance Bass (like glass) continues to keep the public posted on his recent LADA diagnosis. The boy band singer showing his IG audience more about what’s also called diabetes 1.5 and explaining how he was first diagnosed with type 2.

XX

Ok, brace yourself – I promise this is a real story. The Fart Walk is actually good for you. Ok.. stay with me. This is really just a great silly reframing of something we all know, and I couldn’t resist putting it in here. A wellness influencer put this out – you may have seen it – claiming the after dinner stroll can limit your risk of type 2 diabetes. A lot of studies confirm that – along with it having benefits if you already have diabetes. The flatulence part – or a release of gastric pressure – is also a known benefit of moving more after meals. So it’s funny, farts are always funny, but if it gets more people to walk after they eat I’m all for it.

 

https://people.com/fart-walk-benefits-what-is-it-type-2-diabetes-8694630#:~:text=Wellness%20influencer%20Mairlyn%20Smith%20has,of%20day%20you%20do%20it

XX

Join us again soon!