In the News.. Dexcom 15-day sensor update, TrialNet milestone, Beta Bionic IPO, and more!

It's In the News.. a look at the top headlines and stories in the diabetes community. This week's top stories: Dexcom updates investors on its 15-day sensor, TrialNet marks a big anniversary, Beta Bionics goes public, NFL fans support Mark Andrews and much 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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Couple of quick updates from the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference. Dexcom's CEO Kevin Sayer expects to launch a 15-day sensor in the second half of the year. That's in front of the FDA right now. Competitor Abbott currently has 15-day sensors with its Freestyle Libre 2 Plus and Freestyle Libre 3 Plus devices, which the FDA cleared in 2023. Sayer also talked about expanded insurance coverage for the G7, to include more people with type 2. They haven't pursued that with Stelo, the OTC version of their sensors.

The company has begun work on a next-generation CGM. Sayer said the sensor will be smaller, less expensive and include better electronics. Dexcom is also studying new sensor probes, one of which can support multiple analytes, such as measuring lactate or ketones in addition to insulin.

https://www.medtechdive.com/news/dexcom-ceo-stelo-otc-strategy-jp-morgan/737424/

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TrialNet reaches a big milestone – more than a quarter million people have learned their risk of developing T1D through screening.

TrialNet screening is available to family members of those diagnosed with T1D. Having a family history of the disease places individuals at a 15 times greater risk than those with no family members with T1D.

Over the course of VUMC's 18 years participating in the program, the community of T1D patients has become increasingly more engaged with research efforts. More than ever, there is an eagerness to give back to others by participating in clinical trials that could help revolutionize care for those diagnosed with or at risk of developing T1D. In such trials, TrialNet typically takes drugs already shown to be effective in treating other autoimmune diseases and seeks to determine their efficacy in treating, delaying or preventing T1D.

Spencer Mannahan, a 10-year-old patient at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, is participating in a TrialNet study that is looking to determine whether a treatment regimen using both rituximab and abatacept can preserve insulin production in patients newly diagnosed with T1D. Russell, one of the PIs for the study (Protocol TN-25), also treated Spencer's father, Zach, when he was diagnosed with T1D as a child.

She enrolled in a different TrialNet study (Protocol TN-31) examining the effect of abrocitinib and ritlecitinib on insulin production in newly diagnosed individuals. While the possibility exists that her insulin production could be preserved, O'Neal joined the study because it presented an opportunity to make a positive impact on future patients.

These clinical trials support TrialNet's goal of a future without T1D. Research is underway on new methods of blocking the advance of T1D in patients with diabetes-related antibodies. One study will investigate whether T cells that have been activated against insulin can be specifically targeted, rather than issuing a treatment that targets all the body's T cells (thus rendering the patient immunocompromised).

TrialNet, the largest clinical trial network assembled to change the course of Type 1 diabetes, is funded by the National Institutes of Health through grant number NCT00097292.

For more information about screening for Type 1 diabetes risk if it runs in your family, contact info@trialnet.org, visit www.trialnet.org, or contact the Vanderbilt Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet Program at 615-936-8638.

https://news.vumc.org/2025/01/22/milestone-in-vumc-affiliated-diabetes-screening-and-research-program-underscores-impact-of-clinical-trials/

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Another study links air pollution to type 2 diabetes. This is from Wayne State University, and established a robust association between exposure to benzene, a prevalent airborne volatile organic compound, and insulin resistance in humans across all ages.

"In this study, we exposed mice to benzene to see how it affects their blood glucose levels and energy expenditure," she explained. "Our research revealed that within seven days of exposure, they developed high blood glucose insulin levels."

https://today.wayne.edu/medicine/news/2025/01/23/study-links-air-pollution-exposure-to-type-2-diabetes-susceptibility-65321

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Adults with overweight or obesity and type 2 diabetes who are given the sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor drug dapagliflozin alongside moderate calorie restriction achieve much higher rates of remission compared with calorie restriction alone. The researchers say this study provides a practical strategy to achieve remission for patients with early type 2 diabetes.

As well as helping to lower blood sugar levels, SGLT-2 inhibitors can also lead to weight loss, but their effect alongside calorie restriction on diabetes remission has not yet been investigated in a randomised controlled trial.

To address this, researchers carried out a trial involving 328 patients with type 2 diabetes of less than six years' duration at 16 centres in mainland China from 12 June 2020 to 31 January 2023.

Participants were aged 20-70 years with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25 and were not taking any anti-diabetic medication other than metformin.

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20250123/Dapagliflozin-and-calorie-restriction-show-higher-remission-rates-in-type-2-diabetes.aspx

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Beta Bionics has set the terms for its plan to go public, with a goal of raising at least $114 million to support its artificial pancreas system for people with Type 1 diabetes. That's as we're recroding, it's likely they will have begun trading on the NASDAQ by now.. the ticker is BBNX.

Beta Bionics' iLet system was first cleared by the FDA for people ages six and up with Type 1 diabetes in May 2023. The Fierce Medtech Fierce 15 winner has since expanded its blood sugar sensor compatibility to include Abbott's FreeStyle Libre and Dexcom's G6 and G7 platforms.

The company also said it plans to pursue new clinical studies and an FDA clearance that would enable the iLet's use among people with Type 2 diabetes. The ultmite goal is to have a dual-chambered pump with both insulin and glucagon.. but I didn't find anything about that in the articles about this IPO.. I followed up with Beta Bionics and they told me that the dual chambered pump is still very much the goal. Not sure why most of the publications left that out.. but good to hear.

https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/artificial-pancreas-maker-beta-bionics-aims-raise-120m-nasdaq-ipo

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Large new study estimates the size of the current US population with type 1 diabetes and project growth over the next ten years. They say about 2 million live with type 1.. about 1.79 million adults and 290-thousand children. Growth in the ten years is predicted to be about 10%

https://jheor.org/article/124604

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The American Diabetes Association® (ADA) teams up with Xeris Pharmaceuticals® makers of Gvoke – ready to use emergency glucagon.

It is estimated that up to 46% of people with type 1 diabetes and 21% of those with type 2 diabetes using insulin experience at least one severe hypoglycemia event each year.2

The ADA, with support from Xeris, seeks to rectify the low rates of appropriate glucagon prescriptions by developing education materials and training resources for health care professionals and people living with diabetes, as well as through a national awareness campaign to educate people on who is at risk for severe hypoglycemia and should have glucagon, preferably ready-to-use, as a safety net.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-american-diabetes-association-and-xeris-pharmaceuticals-announce-national-collaboration-to-provide-life-saving-hypoglycemia-education-and-awareness-302355703.html

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Wearing a CGM makes pharmacy students better at counseling patients. New study randomly assigned students to wear a CGM during lab sessions.. those who did had a higher average counseling score during the encounter with a patient and a higher overall confidence score. There was also a statistically significant positive correlation between average confidence and average empathy, and empathy and counseling performance.

https://www.drugtopics.com/view/hands-on-cgm-training-helps-student-pharmacists-prepare-for-career

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Mark Andrews Bills Mafia

Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews received a host of negative attention after flubbing a potential game-tying two-point conversion in Sunday night's loss to the Buffalo Bills.

In the face of the online rage, Bills Mafia is again showing some support.

Bills fan Nicholas Howard kicked off a GoFundMe to back Breakthrough T1D, a global Type 1 diabetes research organization that Andrews has supported.

"As many of you know, Ravens TE wasn't able to catch the game-tying 2-point conversion and upset Ravens fans," Howard wrote. "On top of that, the TE has been receiving death threats and nasty comments after his performance last night. We want Bills Mafia to donate to Marks charity for [Type 1] diabetes."

As of Wednesday morning, the fund raised more than $50,000 for the charity.

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The Ravens thanked Bills fans for supporting Andrews.

"Shout out to Bills Mafia for showing support to our guy Mark Andrews and donating to the [BreakthroughT1D] organization, which works towards curing and improving the lives of those dealing with Type 1 diabetes," the club posted.

Andrews was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a child, an autoimmune disease for which there is currently no cure. He's one of several NFL players diagnosed with Type 1 -- Kansas City Chiefs tight end Noah Gray is another.

"Breakthrough T1D [formerly JDRF] greatly appreciates the generosity of the Buffalo Bills community and the many fans who were compelled to donate after Sunday's game," the organization said in a statement to ESPN's Alaina Getzenberg. "These donations will support research and advocacy on behalf of the 1.6 million Americans who, like Mark Andrews, live with type 1 diabetes."

It's not the first time that Bills fans have donated to the cause of a non-Buffalo player. Back in January 2018, Buffalo fans famously donated to the charity of former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton after his win over Baltimore helped Buffalo make its first playoff appearance in nearly two decades. Over and over again, Bills Mafia has shown it will support a good cause when some spew hate.

https://www.nfl.com/news/bills-fans-supporting-ravens-te-mark-andrews-after-drop-by-donating-to-type-1-diabetes-research