In the News... Omnipod 5 iPhone update, Libre & Dexcom news, overnight insulin pump and more!

Diabetes Connections | Type 1 Diabetes

It's In the News.. a look at the top headlines and stories in the diabetes community. This week's top stories: iPhone control for Omnipod 5 rolls out, Libre is approved for use in CT scans and MRIs, Dexcom files for 15 day wear, Luna nighttime pump goes to trial, iLet cell trials move forward and more!

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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.

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Insulet Corporation announces the full market release of the Omnipod 5 App for iPhone® in the U.S.

App allows users to fully control their Omnipod 5 Automated Insulin Delivery System (Omnipod 5) from their compatible iPhone1. For example, users can bolus for a meal, change a Pod, and adjust settings. Importantly, this also means that Omnipod 5 users who have a compatible iPhone no longer need to carry a separate Controller to help manage their insulin delivery requirements.

Insulet says that the App for iPhone has been the number one feature requested by Omnipod 5 users.

The Omnipod 5 App for iPhone is currently compatible with the Dexcom G6 Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) System and is expected to be compatible with the Dexcom G7 CGM in the U.S. in 2025. The Omnipod 5 App for Android phones is also available to U.S. customers.

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241029838744/en/Omnipod%C2%AE-5-App-for-iPhone%C2%AE-Now-Fully-Available-in-the-United-States

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Th FDA says it’s okay to keep on your FreeStyle Libre 2 and 3 for procedures like X-rays, CT scans and MRIs. Abbott said it makes its systems the first and only patient-applied CGM sensors approved for these screenings.

Imaging procedures often come as part of diabetes care, Abbott said, especially as diabetes can cause a number of medical complications. The company rigorously tested its Libre 2 and 3 sensors to ensure they remain effective after radiologic procedures. This FDA clearance comes with no changes made to the sensor.

https://www.drugdeliverybusiness.com/fda-approves-abbott-cgms-medical-imaging/

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Tidepool announced a new data integration with Abbott for the company’s FreeStyle Libre continuous glucose monitors (CGMs).

The companies aim to deliver cloud-to-cloud integration for an automatic stream of data from patients using Abbott’s CGMs in the U.S. Data streams to Tidepool+, a diabetes data visualization and population health platform. Tidepool+ provides intuitive tracking and visualization of diabetes data to make the data informative and actionable for clinicians, people with diabetes and caregivers.

https://www.drugdeliverybusiness.com/tidepool-abbott-data-integration-freestyle-libre/

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Beta Bionics announced today that it launched the integration of the iLet bionic pancreas with the Abbott (NYSE:ABT) FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus.

The companies announced their plan to combine the FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus continuous glucose monitor (CGM) with iLet last month. According to Beta Bionics, this makes iLet the first available automated insulin delivery (AID) system to integrate with Libre 3 Plus in the U.S.

iLet users can now update their app and software to gain a choice of integrated CGMs. They can choose between Libre 3 Plus and Dexcom CGMs.

Abbott, meanwhile, continues to push forward on the automated insulin delivery integration front. The company recently paired its FreeStyle Libre 2 Plus with Insulet’s Omnipod 5 in Europe. It also announced compatibility with the Tandem Diabetes Care t:slim X2 system in January.

Notably, the company also struck a deal with Medtronic in August. They aim to develop CGMs specifically for the medtech giant’s own insulin delivery systems.

https://www.drugdeliverybusiness.com/beta-bionics-launches-ilet-abbott-libre/

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Dexcom is asking the FDA to approve the G7 CGM for 15 days. Right now the G7 has a 10 day wear time. Dexcom also launched the G7 CGM in Australia and rolled out Dexcom ONE+ in France. Some front-office news.. EVP and CCO Teri Lawver plans to retire at the end of the year.

https://www.drugdeliverybusiness.com/dexcom-submits-15-day-cgm-fda-q3-2024/

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Stelo by Dexcom is one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2024! As the first glucose biosensor available in the U.S. without a prescription, Stelo has unlocked our industry-leading technology for millions of people across the U.S. looking to improve their health through personalized insights. We’re honored to be recognized among other unique innovations in the Home Health category that support people’s health.

https://time.com/7094684/dexcom-stelo/

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Luna Diabetes is moving forward with a pivotal trial evaluating its automated closed-loop insulin technology, the Luna System.

This is designed to address nighttime glucose control for insulin pen users. It’s meant for use only during sleep - Luna system was developed as a wearable insulin pump and alternative to insulin pen to automate the insulin delivery process. The device works with continuous glucose monitors (CGM) to calculate and deliver rapid-acting insulin doses during sleep.

Luna Diabetes expects the study to be completed early next year, with plans to commercially launch the device “soon after”.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/luna-diabetes-trials-automated-wearable-115211566.html?guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJIrWwjdye-ehrLNDt-LIGb5qTXaKDTIa8NWwiT7fKwFFgjDMN2nnINis6YfFePWP2ZA2DVYWXEIZQqRlQ4aKLFrYWgvw1jdI-t1n9kO6NIzdBCMXQNNCVl_S-75lDNip2SysHDJQmyqSc4wLjfDya3v9wwTWU-KgE_OqrPCTnlu

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Researchers are urging caution when prescribing off-label glucose-lowering drugs to individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) while acknowledging that doctors keep prescribing them because they seem to work so well. Both glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have shown significant benefits for cardiovascular and renal health in other populations, particularly in patients with type 2 diabetes.

SGLT2 inhibitors carry a significant risk of euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis, a dangerous condition most common in T1D individuals where toxic levels of blood acidification can occur. Due to this risk, SGLT2 inhibitors were removed for T1D use in Europe, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved them for T1D.

For GLP-1RAs, there are concerns about substantial weight loss potentially leading to ketoacidosis or worsening hypoglycemia. While these medications can be beneficial in managing weight, the extent of that weight loss can create new problems in people with T1D as their insulin needs may quickly change as a result.

Prescribing in People With Type 1 Diabetes," published in JAMA, the authors stress the critical need for more research to confidently allow the off-label usage of potentially dangerous secondary treatments.

The data suggests clinicians are turning to these treatments to manage cardiovascular and renal complications in T1D patients, even though the drugs are not explicitly approved for this condition.

Conversely, those newly prescribed GLP-1RAs had higher rates of obesity (69.4% vs. 45.7%). This data indicates that clinicians are prescribing GLP-1RAs to help manage obesity in T1D patients, as weight management is a critical component of diabetes care.

The percentage of the T1D population prescribed GLP-1RAs increased significantly, from 0.3% in 2010 to 6.6% by 2023. The percentage prescribed SGLT2 inhibitors rose from 0.1% in 2013 to 2.4% by 2023. Overall, the percentage of T1D patients prescribed either of these medications increased from 0.7% to 8.3% during this period.

Results of the study suggest that despite regulatory concerns, off-label use of GLP-1RAs and SGLT2 inhibitors in T1D continues to grow primarily due to their cardiorenal and weight management benefits.

"Prospective studies on the efficacy and safety of GLP-1RAs or SGLT2 inhibitors in the T1D population are needed," the Research Letter concludes, "Before such evidence becomes available, caution should be exercised when prescribing these treatments to individuals with T1D."

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-10-glucose-lowering-drugs-diabetes-patients.html

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More good islet transplant news.. from Eledon Pharmaceuticals and University of Chicago. These are potentially the first human cases of insulin independence achieved using a transplant of insulin-producing islet cells in combination with its experimental immunosuppressant drug.

The first two subjects achieved insulin independence and normal hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) levels, a measure of average blood glucose, post-transplant. The third subject, who recently received an islet transplant, decreased insulin use by more than 60% three days following the procedure and continues on an insulin independence trajectory.

Some of the funding for this study comes from Breakthrough T1D.

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/10/29/2970713/0/en/Eledon-Pharmaceuticals-Announces-Positive-Initial-Data-from-Subjects-with-Type-1-Diabetes-Treated-with-Tegoprubart-as-Part-of-an-Immunosuppression-Regimen-Following-Islet-Transplan.html

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Semaglutide may reduce Alzheimer’s risk in type 2 diabetes patients, with research suggesting significant protective benefits compared to other diabetes drugs.

published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, the study suggests that T2D patients taking semaglutide had a significantly lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s. This effect was observed consistently across various subgroups, including differences in obesity status, gender, and age.

Semaglutide, which acts on glucagon-like peptide receptors (GLP-1R) to curb hunger and regulate blood sugar in T2D, is also the active component in the diabetes and weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic.

About 120,000 Americans die from Alzheimer’s disease each year, with the disease listed as the seventh-leading cause of death nationally, according to the CDC.

https://scitechdaily.com/alzheimers-breakthrough-popular-diabetes-drug-ozempic-linked-to-much-lower-risk/

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Edgepark commercial

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Apple’s non invasive blood glucose monitoring rumors are back. But this sounds like just software.. no watch or hardware.

According to the report, Apple doesn't currently have plans to release the app, but may integrate the technology into its future health products. The app could reportedly show consumers how certain foods impact their blood sugar levels, based on measurements taken by existing blood sugar monitoring devices.

One report says apple is exploring uses for blood sugar data and what tools they could create for consumers as a result. Latterly, he reports testing on the app has been paused, but says the tests could pave the way for better food tracking on Apple's own health software or better third-party glucose tracking integration.

https://www.techradar.com/health-fitness/apple-is-testing-a-new-blood-sugar-product-but-its-not-the-apple-watch-update-weve-been-waiting-for

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And finally, it’s diabetes awareness month. Please follow on social – I’ll be doing a few things but mostly I think this month is great to educate the general public.. every month is diabetes month for this community.

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Join us again soon!