In the News... Trump RX, T1D at the Olympics & Superbowl, Ozempic pill launches soon, and more!

It's In the News.. a look at the top headlines and stories in the diabetes community. This week's top stories: T1D in the Olympics & Superbowl, Trump RX goes live, Ozempic pill available soon, tech updates from Medtronic, Beta Bionics, Eversense 365 and more!

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Episode transcription with links:

Welcome! I’m your host Stacey Simms and this is an In The News episode.. where we bringing you the top diabetes stories and headlines happening now. A reminder that you can find the sources and links and a transcript and more info for every story mentioned here in the show notes.

Quick reminder:

We are just over one week from our first Moms’ Night Out event of the year. While the plans are all set – the speakers, the vendors, the raffles and the fun is ready to go, it’s always amazing how many people hear of these event last minute. That’s fine, they’re welcome! But if you’re thinking of attending a future event – registration is open for We’re going to Nashville next March 6-7 and Detroit in September – no need to wait. And we’ve got Club 1921 events for health care professionals and patient leaders in 6 cities this year! All the info is over at diabetes-connetionss.com events/

 

Okay.. our top story this week:

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Gotta be a quick shout out to some incredible T1D athletes – we had TWO in the super bowl this past weekend – Chad Muma of the New England Patriots and Logan Brown of the Seattle Seahawks

AND there are at least two athletes with type 1 competing at the Winter Olympics. Hannah Schmidt competes in ski cross for Canada – she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 12 years old.  Anna FarnSchadt Fernstäd a Czech skeleton racer diagnosed in 2022 after she’d already been to several Olympics. We wish them all the best!

 

https://english.radio.cz/skeleton-racer-anna-fernstadtova-overcoming-adversity-headfirst-down-ice-8876699

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The government website TrumpRx.gov is live..  the website does not sell prescription drugs. Instead, it allows people to look up their drugs and then navigate to buy them elsewhere, either from a major drug company or a pharmacy. The 43 drugs listed on the site have prices ranging from $3 to over $5,500.

TrumpRx does include warnings that the site may not be the best option to save money on prescriptions. Each product page advises: “If you have insurance, check your co-pay first — it may be even lower.”

For now, the website says its prices are for people paying with their own money, rather than going through insurance. The only insulin listed right now is Lilly’s insulin lispro – and it’s the same price as you’d find through Illy’s insulin value program.

I looked up diabetes meds.. For example, if you have an insurance co-pay of $25 a month for Farxiga, a drug often used for diabetes, you would be paying $182 on TrumpRx.

As you can imagine, though ,this is complicated and as with most of our healthcare system, it may be good in some cases and not much help in other.  I’d suggest calling your local pharmacist or checking with your human resource dept.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/health/trumprx-prescription-drug-prices-consumers.html

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Novo Nordisk will launch some doses of its oral semaglutide for diabetes under the brand name Ozempic pill in the second quarter of this year.

The company said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Ozempic tablets in three different doses.

Novo says The new Ozempic name is intended to help patients and health care professionals more easily recognize the available treatment options for type 2 diabetes

Semaglutide tablets have been available under the brand name Rybelsus Ruh BELL sis for diabetes since 2019 but with different dosing.

The pill is also approved to reduce the risk of certain cardiovascular conditions in adults with type 2 diabetes who are at high risk for these events.

The FDA had approved the new doses based on a bioequivalence study and the clinical trial data for Rybelsus, Novo said.

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/novo-launch-ozempic-pill-diabetes-second-quarter-this-year-2026-02-04/

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https://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/view/early-screening-for-type-1-diabetes-found-effective-in-children

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Possible new way to identify and track the progress of type 1 diabetes before clinical onset. A recent study published in Science Advances described the application of subcutaneous microporous scaffolds. These are inserted and have been shown to  identify changes in cancer, multiple sclerosis, and T1D by capturing changes of immune cells over the course of a disease.

This is a proof of concept study in mice.. so very early days.

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260204/Implantable-immune-scaffold-predicts-type-1-diabetes-weeks-before-symptoms.aspx

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A large global genetics study shows that many key drivers of Type 2 diabetes operate outside the bloodstream.

In a major international project led in part by the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Helmholtz Munich in Germany, researchers linked hundreds of genes and proteins to the disease.

The work, published in Nature Metabolism, points to a key challenge in diabetes research: the biology behind rising blood sugar does not play out the same way in every part of the body. It also shows why including people from many backgrounds matters, since genetic clues that stand out in one population may be faint or invisible in another.

Huge study, 2.5 million people worldwide comparing patterns across seven tissues tied to diabetes and four global ancestry groups, then asked a simple question: what do you miss if you only measure blood?

Across the seven tissues, the researchers found causal evidence pointing to 676 genes. Yet overlap with blood was limited: only 18% of genes with a causal effect in a primary diabetes tissue, such as the pancreas, showed a matching signal in blood. At the same time, 85% of genetic effects observed in diabetes-relevant tissues were completely absent from blood-based analyses.

The findings lay out a roadmap for future research aimed at understanding the biological pathways underlying Type 2 diabetes and developing more effective treatments.

https://scitechdaily.com/massive-global-study-rewrites-the-biology-of-type-2-diabetes/

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Express Scripts settled the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's claims its insulin pricing practices violated antitrust and consumer protection laws, and agreed to changes aimed at lowering costs for patients, insurers and small pharmacies

The settlement, first reported by Reuters, fits with that goal, and allows the FTC to pare down a case brought by the former Biden administration against Cigna's Express Scripts, UnitedHealth Group Inc's (UNH.N), Optum unit and CVS Health Corp's (CVS.N), CVS Caremark. The case against Optum and Caremark is ongoing.

Pharmacy benefit managers, which set how drugs are covered by health insurance, have faced a decade of scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers over pricing practices. While the industry has already made reforms, the settlement gives the FTC power to enforce broader changes at Express Scripts.

The 10-year agreement restricts Express Scripts' ability to engage in practices critics say contribute to high costs, like pocketing rebate payments from drugmakers based on the list price of drugs. The FTC estimates the agreement could save patients as much as $7 billion over a decade.

https://www.reuters.com/world/cigna-settles-ftc-insulin-case-commits-overhauling-drug-pricing-2026-02-04/

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Audio?

Congress has passed bipartisan legislation to extend and strengthen the Special Diabetes Program (SDP), a cornerstone of Federal investment in type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. The President signed the legislation and it is now law.

Extends the SDP through December 31, 2026, and increases funding from $160 million to $200 million annually. Strengthens overall funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by $415 million. Increases diabetes research funding at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) by $10 million.

Created by Congress and administered by the NIH, the SDP has contributed nearly $3.6 billion to T1D research and has played a role in nearly every major breakthrough in the field.

A recent study conducted by Avalere Health shows that of the nearly 3.6 billion invested into the SDP by Congress since the establishment of the program, the Federal Government has realized $50 billion in healthcare savings through improved health outcomes from the use of SDP driven therapies and devices

https://www.breakthrought1d.org/news-and-updates/congress-passes-bipartisan-extension-of-the-special-diabetes-program-securing-critical-t1d-research-funding/

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Dexcom is rolling out what they’re calling AI-enabled enhancements to Stelo, further transforming how users track and understand their glucose health.

Expanded Smart Food Logging including a comprehensive nutrition database of more than 1M meals that provides a breakdown of calories, carbohydrates, protein, fat, dietary fibers, and more.

More ways to meal track including text search, barcode scanning or taking a photo of the meal, creating a seamless and intuitive meal tracking solution.

A redesigned Daily Insights feature which will introduce a new interface with more personalized recommendations.

The newest features will launch nationwide in the coming weeks.

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Beta Bionics has received a warning letter from the Food and Drug Administration following an inspection last year, the company disclosed on Friday.

The diabetes technology company said in a securities filing that the warning letter concerns non-conformities with the company’s quality management system, medical device reporting, and correction and removals. The warning letter has not yet been posted by the FDA.

 

The company said in the filing that it has already taken actions to improve the processes described in the warning letter, and it is working on a written response to the FDA.

 

The firm does not expect the warning letter to affect the planned launch of a new insulin patch pump by the end of 2027. Beta Bionics unveiled a prototype of the device, called Mint, last year at the American Diabetes Association’s Scientific Sessions. The company also does not expect the warning letter to affect its financial results.

https://www.medtechdive.com/news/beta-bionics-receives-fda-warning-letter/811140/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue%3A+2026-02-04+MedTech+Dive+%5Bissue%3A81423%5D&utm_term=MedTech+Dive&fbclid=IwY2xjawPwhDZleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFaUUcyYmNQWldjZ2xudElic3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHouF8M3IstTyslPRgeHWUWVVdOAGOtzPWt_yNFcj9eYruqSPz3e86Iwcbpt8_aem_7q4D97vJVjHKfEwvoyUpgw

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Sequel Med Tech is reviewing co-founder Dean Kamen’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein after recently released documents revealed new details about the longstanding relationship between the two men.

The documents show that Kamen visited Epstein’s island, and remained in contact with him for years after Epstein was convicted of sex crimes involving minors. Kamen has not been accused of any wrongdoing.

In a statement, Sequel Med Tech said the Manchester-based company is aware of the documents pertaining to Kamen and – quote -

“Sequel’s Board of Directors has unanimously decided to engage an external law firm to review these disclosures and provide recommendations aligned with our mission to serve people living with diabetes,”

Kamen has not issued a statement regarding his reported connection to Epstein.

 

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/04/metro/nh-dean-kamen-jeffrey-epstein-review/

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/04/metro/nh-dean-kamen-jeffrey-epstein-review/

https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/nh-inventor-placed-on-leave-after-epstein-messages-surface-report-says/3888569/

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Abbot reports 860 serious injuries linked to the recall of some of its glucose monitoring sensors. We told you about this recall late last year, these numbers are an FDA update.

 

 

Abbott said the sensors can provide incorrect glucose readings over extended periods, which could lead to users making dangerous treatment decisions, including eating excessive carbohydrates along with skipping or delaying insulin doses, potentially leading to serious health risks.

The company said it has identified and resolved the cause of the issue, which relates to one production line among several that make Libre 3 and Libre 3 Plus sensors.

 

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/abbott-recalls-glucose-sensors-after-seven-deaths-linked-faulty-readings-2026-02-04/

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Updates from Medtronic & Senseonics – and a first from Nick Jonas.. right after this..

 

I’m excited to share that the FDA has cleared the MiniMed 780G system with the Instinct sensor, made by Abbott, for people with type 2 diabetes.  Medicare has also now approved coverage for the Instinct sensor for use with the MiniMed 780G system.

This clearance and expanded coverage mean more people will have access to pairing our most advanced automated insulin delivery technology with the Instinct sensor, that offers a smaller, 15-day sensor experience. 

They’re also launching the MiniMed 780G system Pump Evaluation Program. 

This program gives individuals living with diabetes the ability to try the full MiniMed 780G system at no cost for 30 days.† This includes the pump, the sensor of their choice, one month of infusion sets and reservoirs, everything but the insulin. They’ll contact your doctor for you to get a prescription and get the process rolling.

https://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/pump-evaluation-program

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Senseonics announced today that its Eversense 365 continuous glucose monitor (CGM) system received CE mark approval – that’s European clearance.

 This comes on the heels of the launch of Eversense 365 with Sequel Med Tech’s twiist pump, marking the first pump integration for the CGM.

Senseonics plans to launch Eversense 365 in Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden in the coming months. Meanwhile, Senseonics continues to work toward an FDA investigational device exemption (IDE) submission for its next-generation Gemini transmitter-less CGM by the end of this year.

https://www.drugdeliverybusiness.com/senseonics-ce-mark-eversense-365-cgm/

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A huge shout out to Dr. Emily Blum, who just accomplished riding 100 miles in Antarctica for Breakthrough T1D! Despite having no direct connection to Type 1 Diabetes, Emily has been riding and fundraising for BreakthroughT1D for 10 years now. She is an integral part of the Georgia Ride team, training and riding many miles, and most importantly has raised tens of thousands of dollars to support the cause of ridding the world of T1D. She is surgeon and deeply involved with medical innovation, with an incredibly busy schedule, but jumped at the chance to take on the challenge of riding a century on every continent. Having already completed North America, Europe, Australia, Asia, and now Antarctica, only Africa and South America remain.

Emily rides on and continues to be an inspiration to everyone who meets her.

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https://diabetes-connections.com/t1d-connection-and-people-magazine-elise-zach-share-their-story/

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Nick Jonas’s becomes the first artist ever to wear a CGM on an album cover - new upcoming solo album Sunday Best, releasing Feb. 6.

 The release says:

This marks a powerful step forward in normalizing diabetes and raising awareness for the condition on a global scale. This moment adds to the growing visibility of diabetes in pop culture, alongside milestones like a Type 1 diabetes Barbie and Pixar characters wearing diabetes technology.