First Patients Enrolled in Clinical Trial for Omnipod Artificial Pancreas System

Look out future... Here come the Podders!

from Buisnesswire

BILLERICA, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Insulet Corporation (NASDAQ:PODD) (Insulet or the Company), the leader in tubeless insulin pump technology with its Omnipod® Insulin Management System (Omnipod System), today announced the first patient has completed the feasibility study of the Omnipod Horizon™ Automated Glucose Control System (Omnipod Horizon System). The full study will evaluate the use of a personal Model Predictive Control algorithm with the Omnipod platform in 20 adults with type 1 diabetes and is taking place in a clinical research center setting to gather data to be used to evolve the algorithm in subsequent studies leading to FDA submission.
“We are very excited to be participating in Insulet’s artificial pancreas clinical trials,” said Jordan Pinsker, M.D., senior research physician at William Sansum Diabetes Center. “Working with Professor Francis J. Doyle III and Dr. Eyal Dassau, Sansum played a major role in the development of the original UC Santa Barbara Artificial Pancreas algorithm that Insulet acquired. We look forward to contributing to the clinical and development pathway as Insulet takes this promising technology to a commercial product.”

The Omnipod Horizon System will combine best-in-class technologies into one integrated system consisting of an on-body Omnipod tubeless pump, the latest Dexcom continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology, a modified version of Insulet’s handheld controller and state-of-the-art security system architecture. Insulet’s Omnipod Horizon System is unique in that the algorithm looks toward the future horizon of blood glucose levels, reacting quickly and efficiently to adjust insulin delivery to optimize outcomes for each user. The system will provide the same proven lifestyle benefits as the current Omnipod System, such as the discreet, reliable, tubeless form factor and up to three days of non-stop insulin delivery to make it easy to stay connected and avoid disruption of insulin delivery during routine activities like exercising and bathing.

“Our new Omnipod Horizon System is designed to deliver not only improved clinical outcomes, but the greatly desired improvement in quality of life for those living with insulin-dependent diabetes,” said Patrick Sullivan, President and Chief Executive Officer. “With the first clinical study of our innovative artificial pancreas underway, we have taken another important step in fulfilling our mission to improve the lives of people with diabetes.”

The entire article can be found here.

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News: Open Source Insulin!?

Oakland Hackers Try to Make Insulin...

Below are a few excerpts from a news story out of California about 'Counter Culture Labs' and the researchers who are using its space to try and create open source insulin. It's worth a read...

from KQED News - By Andrew Stelzer

"The projects are as varied as the participants. In addition to developing vegan cheese, another group is trying to make an eco-friendly sunscreen. And the focus of tonight’s weekly meeting is the Open Insulin Project."

"The goal is to make and purify human insulin, and we want to do that in the simplest and least expensive way possible,” says Anthony DiFranco, who helped start the Open Insulin Project."

"DiFranco’s a Type 1 diabetic himself, which means he needs to use insulin to balance his blood sugar. Here in the lab, he and the team are using E. coli to try and produce something biologically similar to insulin."

You can read the entire story at KQED News

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A1C: How We Got To 5.7

I've written blog posts for years about how we've reduced Arden's A1c. I've told you about the OmniPod insulin pump, DexCom continuous glucose monitor, modifying diet, being bold with insulin and more. The process has existed on many paths. We had to conquer school days, overnights, carb rich foods, sports and my fear of insulin. If you search the phrase "A1c" on this site a bevy of blog posts will return and they all highlight a moment of the journey. You'll see us get out of the 9's, the 8's the 7's and finally claw our way to sub 6. 

Almost each time that we got the number to decrease I would spend the ride to Arden's endo appointment telling her not to be disappointed if her A1c goes up because I was always trying things and never really sure if they would work. Diabetes is the ultimate on the job training

Last weeks Endo visit was different...

When we got into my car I told Arden, "Your A1c is going to be 5.7, watch and see". I was confident, almost brash when I told her this. Sure I was cheating a little - truth be told - because I have the Dexcom Clarity app on my phone and can see Arden's A1c. But still my confidence was rooted more than just being able to see reports from her glucose monitor ahead of her quarterly blood test. This confidence was bigger than data because I finally know what I'm doing. No more guessing, no more wondering. Today I trust my gut and we attack Arden's blood sugars with a steely resolve. All of our experiences have finally added up and the seemingly senseless actions of diabetes are finally making sense.

The way I arrived at this resolve is why I'm writing today...

In the Spring of 2015 I launched a type 1 diabetes podcast called the Juicebox Podcast. My intention was to share my experiences being the parent of a child living with diabetes in a new medium and hopefully to a wider audience. That was it, no larger or grander plan. I was just starting a podcast. Since then the podcast has reached more people than I could have ever imagined and the response from listeners is largely very positive. Better still, I receive emails, FB messages and tags on Instagram nearly daily from people who want to tell me how the podcast has helped them - those notes are unimaginably wonderful to read. The idea that a persons A1c is lower and more stable, that their life feels calmer and easier to enjoy... that feeling is well beyond any initial hope that I had for this blog or the podcast. I can't lie and tell you that I didn't think the podcast would be helpful but I wasn't able to imagine to what extent or that it would actually also help me.

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So how did we get to 5.7? The simple answer is by doing the podcast. It turns out that by taking the time to record the show, by having conversations with other people living with diabetes... I was allowing myself time to consider aspects of my management theories as well. Pausing life for a moment to think about type 1 and how to best approach it. I'm not a pre-planner at heart, I go and work things out as I'm moving. So some of the tactics that you have adopted through the Juicebox Podcast are things that occurred to me while recording the podcast. I took my experiences and spoke about them, during those conversations things came to me that previously had not. My ideas were growing and taking shape as I was sharing them with you. I learned from diabetes, you learned from me and I learned from you. A circle, a wonderful blue circle.

When I decided to stop being afraid of insulin, others followed. You had great success with that idea, I was enthused by your stories. That enthusiasm helped me to chase more fancy, find success and report it back to you. In return you contacted me and some of you come on the podcast to talk about your experiences - another blue circle. When I hear from you that the podcast is helping in your life, that knowledge supports me and we move forward together.

That is what community is...

I cried when one of you told me that your daughter has been playing for hours with a stable blood sugar. Your words, "she seems like herself again" striking me at my core. This exchange is one of the great moments of my life. All I want is for my daughter to have a chance to be herself and live her life. That a podcast was able to bring that dream to another person has made my heart soar.

There are many other stories and when each of them reaches me my desire to continue doubles. You all are the reason that Arden's A1c is 5.7, I have no doubt of that fact. I need to thank each of you and I want to invite you to come with me as I try to keep Arden's BGs stable, her A1c constant and try to make all of our lives better.

The Juicebox Podcast is one of the true surprises of my life. I just never imagined... 

I understand that not everyone knows about podcasts or how to find them but it couldn't be simpler. iOS users on iPhone and iPad only need to click this link, you already have a podcast app. Android and Google Play folks can click here. You can also listen online at JuiceboxPodcast.com, on Stitcher, iHeart Radio or in your favorite podcast app. Start at the beginning and take the journey with me, you'll catch up to subscribers in no time. The podcast is 100% free, I offset my costs by accepting ads on the show. It will never cost you anything to listen to the JBP.

If the podcast has helped you please consider leaving a comment below so that others may find the support they need to try an episode. #A1cYaLater #BoldwithInsulin #DiabetesandFear #TellAFriend

Real World Type 1 Talk

"My daughter's A1C dropped from 8.4 to 7.2 in five weeks..."

Do you have type 1 diabetes or love someone who does?

ESPN Commentator Speaks Ignorantly about Diabetes

ESPN commentator Stephan A. Smith apparently doesn't like Chicago Bears quarterback and person with type 1 diabetes, Jay Cutler

I'm not a guy who watches ESPN 24/7 but I do know that Stephen A. Smith has been in the center of more than a few controversies - probably by design. Normally we'd want to ignore people who say inflammatory sh*t just to get noticed but in this situation... maybe Stephen needs to hear from the diabetes community.

At some point in this clip Mr. Smith will say - speaking about Cutler - something to the effect of...

And I understand... they'll be people out there that say type 2 diabetes... the way I look at it we live in an advanced society where there is medicine everywhere to help you out.

Now I don't care if Jay Cutler is a good quarterback, nor do I expect for everyone to be a diabetes expert. But we should not allow someone with a platform like this to flippantly dismiss diabetes as if it were something that you take an Advil to clear up. Shouldn't we expect at the very minimum that if an ESPN employee is going to dismiss a serious diseases and the person who has it... Shouldn't that callous idiot at the very least, make sure that they are maligning the disease that the person actually has? I mean how difficult is it to find out that Jay Cutler has type 1 diabetes? 

Stephen A. Smith should get himself educated, publicly set the record straight, and apologize on ESPN First Take where he made his ridiculous remarks. As for ESPN, maybe they should choose more carefully who they allow to speak on their behalf.

If you watch the video please start at the 4 minute mark. You do not want to suffer this blowhard for any longer than need be...

I'm just going to leave these links here along with a hashtag...

Stephen A. Smith - Twitter
ESPN - Twitter -  Facebook 
ESPN First Take - Twitter - Facebook

#GetDiabetesRight

ESPN First Take Today 8-4-16 Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman are Live at Washington Redskins Training Camp. Stephen A. Smith Super Angry Rant On Jay Cutler! Stephen A. Smith Super Angry Rant On Jay Cutler! Stephen A. Smith Super Angry Rant On Jay Cutler! ESPN First Take 8-5-16

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