Category Archives: Diabetes

Johnson & Johnson's type 2 diabetes drug Invokana significantly reduced the risk of serious heart problems in patients with established heart disease or at elevated risk in a pair of large studies, according to data presented at a medical meeting on Monday.

The medicine also led to a reduced risk of hospitalization for heart failure and protection against kidney function decline. But the risk of amputations, particularly of toes or feet, was double versus placebo in the studies of 10,142 patients with type 2 diabetes.

On the study's main goal Invokana, known chemically as canagliflozin, reduced the combined risk of heart-related death, nonfatal heart attack and nonfatal stroke by a statistically significant 14 percent compared with placebo.

"What we actually got here was not just evidence of safety but evidence of benefit," said lead investigator Bruce Neal, professor of medicine at the University of New South Wales Sydney.

"It's a really positive result. This (heart disease) is the main thing that people with diabetes die from," said Neal, who presented the data at the American Diabetes Association meeting in San Diego.

The study was required to prove Invokana did not cause heart complications. The expectation bar was raised, however, after rival drug Jardiance from Eli Lilly and Co and Boehringer Ingelheim in 2015 demonstrated heart protective qualities in a similar large trial. Reduction of heart-related death is now included in the Jardiance label.

"We look forward to working with the FDA and regulators around the world with respect to getting this in the label," James List, head of cardiovascular and metabolism for J&J's Janssen unit, said of the new data.

Two-thirds of patients had confirmed heart disease and the rest were deemed at high risk. They were followed for an average of about four years.

The number of amputations was small but about double that of the placebo group. A warning of increased amputation risk was added to Invokana's prescribing label after it was discovered by safety monitors during an interim analysis of the study.

"Care is warranted in the use of canagliflozin in patients at risk for amputation," a New England Journal of Medicine article on the study said.

Invokana is the market leader among a newer class of type 2 diabetes treatments called SGLT-2 inhibitors, along with Jardiance and AstraZeneca Plc's Farxiga. They work by removing blood sugar through the urine.

Results from a large Farxiga heart safety trial are expected in 2019.

"I think we're going to see much greater use of canagliflozin and the class in type 2 diabetes," Neal said.

Invokana and related combination treatment Invokamet had sales $284 million in the first quarter, J&J reported.

(Reporting by Bill Berkrot in New York; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

WASHINGTON The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday cut the time it will take for copycat versions of biologic drugs to get to the market in a pivotal ruling about an expensive class of medicines that can yield billions of dollars in sales for drug companies.

Merck & Co said it paused enrolments in two late-stage studies testing its immunotherapy drug, Keytruda, for multiple myeloma, in combination with other therapies, as the U.S. drugmaker looks to better understand more reports of death in the Keytruda groups.

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J&J diabetes drug shows heart benefit in large safety study - Reuters

A mans finger is pricked to test cholesterol and blood sugar on August 13, 2009 in Newark, New Jersey. Rick Gershon / Getty Images

Tests done in 67 adults with type-1 diabetes showed the drug appeared to boost their body's own production of insulin, Dr. Stephen Gitelman of the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine told a meeting of the American Diabetes Association.

On average the people that got the medicine used less insulin, Gitelman told NBC News.

He stressed that it is a small trial meant to show the drug can safely do in people what it did in mice.

We just wanted to get a sense if this showed some benefit in adults so we could get to the target population in kids, Gitelman said.

The conservative estimate is that beta cell function was maybe 19 percent better at one year. So its not a slam-dunk home run.

The team will have to get Food and Drug Administration permission to test the drug in children.

About 5 percent of the

Its an autoimmune disease, caused when the body mistakenly destroys pancreatic cells that produce hormones like insulin and glucagon that control blood sugar. High glucose levels damage tiny blood vessels, which in turn can lead to blindness, heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. People can lose toes, feet or legs to amputation.

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When levels fall too low, patients can pass out and sometimes die.

There's no cure and the only treatment is to keep blood sugar under tight control with diet and insulin.

Most people with type-1 diabetes must constantly check their blood sugar throughout the day, administering insulin according to what they are eating and how much they are exercising.

If those dying pancreatic cells could be saved, they might have to do this less often.

That would be one potential pathway -- to use the drug to try to get in as early as possible when there are still as many beta cells remaining as possible and to slow down progression and potentially even keep people off insulin, said Andy Rakeman, director of discovery research at JDRF, the diabetes research charity that funded the study.

Its estimated that people at the time they are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes that they have anywhere between 10 and 15 or maybe even 40 percent of their beta cells still remaining, Rakeman added.

Some people maintain beta cell function for years. We used to think all or nearly all of the beta cells are destroyed very rapidly.

The organization is paying for research looking at several ways to preserve these cells. Gleevec would be a good candidate because its been around for nearly 20 years and while it causes side-effects such as a vomiting and rash, they are usually not severe in the diabetes patients.

Its taking an old drug and repurposing it for a new use, Rakeman said.

Gleevec, known generically as imatinib, and Sutent, known generically as sunitinib, interfere with an enzyme called tyrosine kinase. In patients with cancers such as chronic myelogenous leukemia, cutting back on this enzyme stops the cancer.

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Cancer patients who also had autoimmune diseases who took Gleevec and Sutent reported that the drugs also appeared to ease the symptoms of the other conditions. Thats when a team at UCSF started testing Gleevec in mice bred to develop diabetes.

Gitelman says his team believes Gleevec may be taking some of the pressure off the pancreatic beta cells.

He is a little worried his study may be misunderstood. The team just finished the research last week and theyve rushed to put together a quick presentation to the Diabetes Association meeting. It will be weeks before they can analyze the data and put it into a form that can be reviewed by other experts in a medical journal.

Its early and the message could be misconstrued, Gitelman said.

This definitely does not show that Gleevec is curing type 1 diabetes, Rakeman stressed.

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Plus, Gleevec is expensive.

It costs more than $140,000 a year, according to Dr. Hagop Kantarjian of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, one of the original Gleevec trial leaders. A generic version, however, costs $400 in India.

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Cancer Drug Gleevec Might Slow Type-1 Diabetes - NBCNews.com

BBC News

Family's mission to raise profile of type one diabetes BBC News The family of a teenager who died from type one diabetes has made it "their mission" to raise the profile of the condition. Peter Baldwin, 13, from Cardiff, died in 2015, just days after he was diagnosed. His family are working closely with Diabetes UK ... Vigilance urged to detect type one diabetesBBC News Welsh campaign aims to raise awareness of type 1 diabetes in childrenGP online Mum with two diabetic children is supporting a campaign to spot the signsSouth Wales Argus WalesOnline all 5 news articles »

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Family's mission to raise profile of type one diabetes - BBC News

This overestimate could lead a doctor to target a black patient's blood sugar levels aggressively, causing dangerously low blood sugar.

"I believe our study, for the first time, definitively shows there is a component of higher A1c that is due to biologic or genetic differences in glucose attaching to the red blood cell," said Dr. Richard Bergenstal, executive director of the International Diabetes Center in Minneapolis and lead author of the study.

The study notes that race only partially explains the hemoglobin A1c differences, and more research is needed to identify social and economic factors that may influence blood sugar levels in various groups of people.

For black patients in America, who have traditionally faced a history of barriers and disadvantages in health care, those factors might also include having limited access to care or medications.

Bergenstal offered one specific question that concerned patients could ask their doctors: "Are we depending just on the hemoglobin A1c to measure how my diabetes control is doing, or are we actually looking at the blood sugars to get a little better reflection of my blood sugars?"

He added that "the A1c, you know, is kind of an average marker, and no patient is average. One of our take-home messages is, it's probably time to be looking at blood sugars and personalizing therapy for each individual a little more than just this average blood sugar test."

In the US, type 2 accounts for about 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes, which occurs most often in children and young adults but can appear at any age, accounts for about 5%.

High hemoglobin A1c levels tend to correlate with complications, Bergenstal said.

"Glucose attaching on to proteins in the eye, kidney, nerve and blood vessels may be one way diabetes with high glucose is part of the cause of complications -- like blindness, kidney disease and nerve disease and amputations," he said.

The new study included data on 104 black patients and 104 white patients with type 1 diabetes. The data were taken from 10 diabetes centers across the US between October 2015 and January of 2017.

Bergenstal has received grants from and served on consulting/advisory boards for Abbott Diabetes Care, as well as other health-care companies, including Novo Nordisk, Becton Dickinson, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb/AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson, during the conduct of the study.

The researchers found that the average hemoglobin A1c levels in black patients were higher than those in white patients, with a difference of about 0.8 percentage points. Based on the average glucose concentrations in the patients, however, the difference should have been only about 0.4 percentage points, the researchers found.

Yet the study came with limitations.

"We didn't study type 2, but I think there's no reason to think the pathophysiology or the chemistry of how glucose attaches to red cells is any different in type 2 than type 1," Bergenstal said.

"We just studied non-Hispanic African-Americans," he added. "We did not study Asians or Native Americans or Hispanics to see if there is a difference from whites, but we have a good model of how to test that in the future."

Other diabetes researchers also have called for more research, but not necessarily with a focus on race.

The new study calls for more focus on personalized medicine, taking into account a patient's ethnic background as well as other factors, said Dr. Alvin Powers, president of medicine and science for the American Diabetes Association and a professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

"The A1c is an important measurement that the person with diabetes should know and should monitor with his or her health care provider, because if the A1c is elevated, your chance of having diabetes-related complications increases," said Powers, who was not involved in the new study.

"So, moving the A1c as close to the goal determined by the patient and his or her doctor is important, but this study shows that in interpreting the A1c, there may be some variation, whether an individual is of African-American descent or of Caucasian descent," Powers said.

Though interesting, the new study findings should be interpreted with caution and not necessarily be applied clinically until more research is conducted, said Dr. Leonard Egede, a professor of medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin, who was not involved in the study.

"The key thing is that when you look at racial differences, we have social factors, clinical factors, and we also have what some people would consider genetic factors. I think the social and environmental factors are larger contributors to differences than the genetic factors," Egede said. "When you look at what they're describing, the idea that glucose variability may differ ... I don't think that's enough to neglect the fact that we actually have major issues around access to care, quality of care, access to medications."

He added that the study "should not detract from the core message we've been trying to get across to patients, which is that they need to take ownership of their disease, and they need to be very aggressive in their diet, their physical activity and taking their medication."

All in all, "these findings suggest next steps for the field," they wrote.

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Why a key diabetes test may work differently depending on your ... - CNN

Dr. Denise L. Faustman is testing a cheap penny vaccine that could bring hope to millions struggling with Type 1 diabetes.

The researcher from Massachusetts General Hospital said BCG a vaccine used against tuberculosis thats been around since 1921 could reverse the deadly effects of the disease.

This offers hope for the first time that people with the long-standing disease will have long-term benefits, Faustman told the Herald last night. And to think its due to a cheap, 100-year-old generic drug.

Faustman has launched a five-year clinical trial using BCG on 150 people from all over the U.S. and seven slots are still open, she added.

BCG can reset the immune system to a normal state, she added. It can get you back to normal levels of blood sugar.

Type 1 diabetes, once called juvenile diabetes, affects people of all ages and can lead to blindness and fatal heart attacks and require amputations.

Its a mystery why diabetes, which is an autoimmune disease, pits the bodys immune system against itself, targeting the pancreas and destroying insulin-producing cells.

The possible answer, according to Faustman, is the bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) or what she called a penny vaccine used all over the world. The vaccine was tested after World War I at the Paris Pasteur Institute.

Nows its making medical history again at the nonprofit Faustman Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital.

She presented her breakthrough this past weekend in San Diego, Calif., at the 77th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association.

Faustman said what excites her about her finding is that BCG is easily and inexpensively produced, even as the cost of treating Type 1 diabetes soars.

Its an old microorganism, she said.

Faustman hopes her five-year trial shows that using BCG over a long period of time will help stabilize the progression of the disease.

She said the vaccine which could also help with treating multiple sclerosis and Crohns disease, to name a few is a natural organism of the dirt.

Were putting back in people the environment they lost, she said, alluding to the Hygiene Hypothesis.

That theory links the lack of infection in early childhood to the rise in asthma and other similar diseases.

Using BCG resets the immune system to a normal state, Faustman explained. It doesnt cure the disease, but it makes it manageable.

What really matters for the MGH researcher is that the innovation was sitting before our eyes and she found it.

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Stabilizing diabetes: Old drug could help millions - Boston Herald

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Cost of insulin just one hurdle for seniors with diabetes Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Ms. Suvak, 68, is diabetic, one of an estimated 11.2 million seniors 25.9 percent of Americans 65 or older, according to the American Diabetes Association who have the condition that can result in serious infections as well as nerve, kidney and ...

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Cost of insulin just one hurdle for seniors with diabetes - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Patterns for diabetes often follow patterns for obesity.(Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Diabetes is a common medical condition affecting around 29 million Americans or about 1 in 11 adults. Diabetes is a metabolic condition manifested by elevated levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood stream. Diabetes is generally divided into type 1 and type 2.

Type 1 typically occurs in children or adolescents and can cause acute life threatening illness, and only about 5 percent of diabetics are type 1. Type 1 diabetics require insulin to survive.

Type 2 diabetes typically arises in adults and can be treated with diet and oral medications, but sometimes requires insulin. Type 2 diabetes tends to be linked to obesity, but not in every case.Recently, I wrote about the obesity epidemic in the U.S. I reported some CDC statistics that indicated the obesity rates are rapidly rising. Specifically, the data showed that no state had an obesity rate over 15 percent in 1985 and by 2016 no state had an obesity rate less than 20 percent. The overall obesity rate is about 33 percent. It is amazing to see how the U.S. diabetes rates are following the same patterns, but lagging behind by several years. In other words, as obesity rates increase in certain states, diabetes rates increase in a very similar pattern.

Currently, diabetes is diagnosed in an individual with fasting blood glucose of 126 or more. Some providers require two separate tests to confirm the diagnosis. People often refer to prediabetes when the blood glucose fasting is between 100 and 126. Prediabetics have a higher tendency to develop diabetes at a later time. Gestational diabetes refers to women who have elevated blood glucose during pregnancy. These individuals also have a tendency toward developing diabetes later in life.

The main symptoms of diabetes are thirst and frequent urination. However, in the early stages, there may not be symptoms. So, efforts are made to catch diabetes early and to try to prevent it. It is not uncommon to have screening done through Health Risk Assessments or regular office visits. People with risk factors such, as elevated blood pressure or elevated cholesterol, are advised to be screened.

Diabetes affects a number of systems. It is the No. 1 cause of kidney failure. In addition to the kidneys, diabetes affects the eyes, nerves (causing neuropathy), digestion, blood vessels and the immune system. Cardiovascular disease is a result of blood vessel disease and is the leading cause of death in diabetics. Immune system dysfunction makes diabetics more prone to infections making immunizations a priority. Much of the diabetic care is focused on controlling the blood glucose levels and reducing the other risk factors including high blood pressure, cholesterol and smoking. Blood glucose control reduces tissue damage and complications.

Glucose control is generally monitored through a blood test referred to as the glycohemoglobin or A1c. This test measures glucose that is attached to the hemoglobin in red blood cells. Red blood cells recycle about every two months so this measurement gives an indication of the average blood glucose over a two-month time period and is used to monitor treatment plans.

The best way to prevent diabetes and help control it is to be active and control diet and weight. It is advised to do at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week. Diet changes include avoiding simple sugars in food and drink, avoiding fatty foods and controlling portions to control weight all help.

Like obesity, diabetes is becoming more prevalent at a rapid pace. Diabetes management presents many challenges for patients and health-care providers. The best way to try to avoid diabetes is through diet, exercise and weight control. Stay healthy my friends.

Dr. Michael Shattuck is a family practice physician at ThedaCare Physicians-Wautoma.

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Control diet, weight in diabetes fight - Appleton Post Crescent

Diabetes isnt a funny subject.

But the Rev. Jeremy Scott treats the serious chronic disease with a light touch in the book hes written titled Rotten Hobby, A True Story of the Unspoken Epidemic Sweeping America.

In the 157-page paperback memoir, the software developer-turned ordained minister recounts his own journey with the disease in an effort to encourage others.

So this is my story, or part of it, at least, Scott writes early in his book. Some of it may be your story, too. If so, I want you to know one thing most of all: You are not alone.

He calls diabetes a rotten hobby, one that is assigned by fate.

Like the universe just declared: You will be a Green Bay Packers fan, but you dont live in the Midwest and you dont like cheese! he adds. Though, that might be worse, now that I think about it.

Scott, 39, serves as the vital-congregations developer for the Mountain Sky Area of the United Methodist Church. He lives in Billings with his wife, Daen, and their two children.

Daen Scott, a nurse practitioner who specializes in endocrinology, works with diabetes patients. She provided the medical expertise for the book and has a with credit on the books cover.

In an interview at his office, Scott tells how just out of college at age 24, he was hired for his first professional job as a software engineer in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The job came with health insurance, and Daen Scott insisted the pair get physicals.

Being the typical man I thought, I feel fine. I dont need to go to the doctor, he said.

But Scott went, and much to his dismay, he learned that the blood sugar in his urine was way out of whack. When he returned for a blood test, his A1C level was 13.5.

Which is way more than it should be, he said. The average for normal people is 6.

Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, Scott knew his grandfather had the disease, though he rarely talked about it. Scott initially didnt think it would be a big deal.

But then he attended a nutrition class.

Eating is a big part of my life. I love food. I love cooking, Scott said. Its definitely my go-to for stress relief. I dont smoke, I dont do drugs I eat cheese steak.

Hes also a big fan of regular soft drinks, Coke in particular. When the dietitian told Scott he had to limit carbs to 60 grams per meal, he knew his days of drinking 12-ounce cans of pop that totaled 39 grams each were over.

Trying to find time to exercise was difficult because much of Scotts time at work was spent in front of a computer. He traveled 45 weeks a year, which made smart eating a challenge.

And he started taking medication, which last year grew to include insulin injections. That affected one of his longtime dreams.

Its hard to get your pilots medical certificate if youve got insulin in your diabetes regimen, Scott said. And learning to fly has always been a goal of mine.

In the book he recounts how a trip for his company to Louisiana in 2005 sent his career in a new direction. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Scott went to New Orleans to help with a vaccination program.

Despite working 20-hour days in the midst of tragedy, he felt like he was doing something valuable.

I remember standing at a window and praying about the week and feeling Id done something important, but I felt completely inadequate, there was so much to do, Scott said. I was asking God whats your plan here, how are you going to make this right?

And Scott felt God nudge him, remind him that he was there and he was part of the solution to help the survivors. He went home to a job he enjoyed, but Scott decided to pursue a new path.

He and his family moved to Columbus, Ohio, where he attended Methodist Theological School and served a church for two years. He graduated from the seminary in 2010, before moving to Billings.

Scott led Evangelical United Methodist Church for four years and then in 2014, he accepted his present assignment. In December, Scott took a one-month renewal leave.

He decided to take on a project.

I had been feeling like I wanted to talk about my life of having diabetes because I didnt see anybody else doing it, he said. And the numbers are so huge: 30 million Americans have it, and Id read a lot of great books that people write about their lives but Id never seen one like this.

He wasnt sure if he wanted to shoot videos for a YouTube channel or write a series of blog posts. So he started writing down his thoughts and before he knew it, he had an outline for a book.

Scott felt that in the national debate over health care and insurance coverage, a stigma was attached to chronic diseases, including diabetes. Health care can cost more for people with chronic medical conditions, and politicians, including Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama, put the blame for the conditions on the patients.

Brooks, in May, was quoted as saying that people who lead good lives wouldn't have to deal with pre-existing conditions.

Theres still a lot of shame associated with diabetes, in the sense that if you have it, you must somehow deserve it, Scott said. If you just eat a little better or exercise a little more, you wouldnt have it.

No one chooses a disease like diabetes, he said, and genes can also play a role. Scott shares a deep level of honesty with readers, telling of his struggles with the disease, and even talks briefly about erectile dysfunction.

He ran everything he'd written by his wife and a couple other friends, to make sure he wasnt over-sharing.

As a pastor, I feel I have a calling to live a more open and transparent life and if not me, than who? Scott said.

At the end of the book, he includes a three-page small-group reading guide. Scott hopes churches might consider reaching out to people with the chronic condition who feel isolated and alone.

Faith plays a part in his battle with the disease.

Im not one who says God gave me diabetes, Scott said. But I do see it as somewhat of a cross given to me to bear, and I want to do that in a way that gives hope to others. Thats what my faith calls me to do.

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Methodist minister shares his diabetes story in memoir - Billings Gazette

At 58, Oscar-nominated actress Angela Bassett has played a wide range of roles and now shes set to be part of the ground breaking new movie, Black Panther, the first Marvel Comic book movie to feature a black super hero.

Its thrilling you know, its all new to me, the whole super hero and huge franchise [movies], said Bassett. It was cast from actors from all over the globe. I think that fans have been asking for it, looking for it, expecting it, and youre going to be satisfied.

The movie is slated to hit theaters next year and casts Bassett as mother of superhero TChalla, the Black Panther. Bassett co-stars with Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, and Lupita Nyong'o.

She was also recently cast in another big franchise movie: Mission Impossible 6.

Thats another one. Im like whats going on? I love it, its thrilling, said Bassett.

Related: Shape Shifter: Condola Rashad on Third Tony Award Nomination

Bassett revealed that she owes it all to her mother, Betty. It was her mother who pushed her to follow her dreams and gave her advice that she still remembers to this day.

Youre a prize, said Bassett. Think well of yourself. Every one is, but you are one and dont forget.

Her mother was her inspiration and its because of her mother that Bassett has taken on a new role to raise awareness about diabetes.

My mother had Type 2 diabetes as well as her brother, her eldest brother, said Bassett. At that time we were unaware about this link, this connection between Type 2 diabetes and heart disease which is what she passed from.

Actress Angela Bassett attends the panel discussion for Netflix's "Master of None" For Your Consideration Event at the Saban Media Center on June 5, 2017 in North Hollywood, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images For Netflix) Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images

In fact, Type 2 diabetes is linked to multiple complications. According to the Mayo Clinic, those affected with Type 2 diabetes are at higher risk not only for heart disease, but also for amputations, blindness, kidney damage and more.

There are more than 29 million Americans with Type 2 diabetes and it affects African-Americans at a higher than average rate. There is also a genetic link with the disease. Because of Bassetts family history, she revealed that she recently had a health scare during a yearly physical and has to pay attention to her diet and exercise.

Prevention and access to health care are key to keeping type two diabetes in check, said Bassett.

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I think its extremely important. Its life and death. Whether you can see a doctor whether you can get your medication whether you can afford it."

In Bassett's latest role, she gets to play the advocate who could save real lives, off the movie screen.

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Angela Bassett Talks Role in 'Black Panther', Diabetes - NBCNews.com

Diabetes management is a focus area for a number of digital health companies, and increasingly large medical device companies like Medtronic and Dexcom are turning to smartphone apps and connected devices for their consumer offerings. So its no surprise that at the 77th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association, which start today, there is a significant health tech presence. We didnt make it out to San Diego ourselves this year, but a lot of the digital health companies have already announced their major news from the conference. As we did last year were rounding up that news here, and well update this piece as more news breaks. Were even including a few news tidbits from this week that werent announced in connection with ADA but impact the diabetes space. Read on for the latest from small startups to major movers and shakers. Dexcom

Its been a big week in the news for the continuous glucose monitor maker. On Monday Dexcom got an important name drop at Apples WWDC: The company will be one of the first to take advantage of Apples addition of native Bluetooth to the Apple Watch. Dexcom has an Apple Watch app at the moment for users of its CGM, but it currently requires the phone to be in range. Now the Watch and the CGM will be able to communicate directly. Then on Wednesday the company announced its long-awaited Android app for Dexcom Share. The Android app just now received FDA clearance, and the company will roll it out this month. At the conference, Dexcom will announce an update to CLARITY, the companys diabetes management software platform. Dexcom is working with the International Diabetes Center (IDC) to incorporate the Ambulatory Glucose Profile, a report developed by IDC. AGP is a standardized way of reporting patient glucose data. AGP reports have been used for several years by physicians, Dr. George Grunberger, chairman of the Grunberger Diabetes Institute, explained in a statement. [It] presents the most relevant statistical and graphical information that would allow clinicians to quickly assess the glucose control of a patient and make meaningful clinical decisions. By having a wider adoption of this report by medical device companies, it allows the information to be agnostic to the manufacturer. AGP can become the EKG report of diabetology where there is one standard glucose report that all clinicians can interpret. One Drop

One Drop Medical, a direct-to-consumer diabetes management system that consists of a lancing device, test strips and a companion app, has expanded its subscription program and launched an Amazon Alexa integration. One Drop subscribers can command the voice assistant to track blood glucose, food and physical activity within the One Drop app, eliminating the need to manually enter any information.

"Accessibility is a foundational value at One Drop," One Drop CEO and founder Jeff Dachis said in a statement. "Now, with new voice and alternative visual interfaces, we are extending our commitment to accessible care with features and programs that allow access to data-driven diabetes care for those with vision challenges, advanced neuropathy, or limited dexterity/mobility, the elderly, caregivers, as well as those challenged by the visual/tactile interfaces associated with smartphones."

Additionally, One Drop is now offering two new specialized diabetes education and coaching programs one on how to deal with the burnout that comes from having a chronic condition, and another for advanced carb counting. The New York-based company will also share results from clinical studies of their system during the ADA conference. Medtronic

Medtronic will present results from several studies, ranging from clinical effectiveness of devices to how machine learning is impacting personalized diabetes management. Scientific presentations will cover insulin pump therapy performance for the MiniMed and SmartGuard systems as well as an update on the performance of SugarIQ, the app Medtronic developed with IBM Watson last year.

The app includes a manual food log and integrates data from Medtronic MiniMed Connect. As users record data about what they eat, when they use insulin, and their blood glucose levels, Watson machine learning generates predictive insights. Medtronic will also delve into notification and engagement strategies, such as in-clinic versus at-home management with email notifications. The company will also host a webcast on June 10 to update their diabetes product pipelines, market outlook and clinical data. T1D Exchange & Admetsys

Boston-based nonprofit T1D Exchange, which is solely focused on spurring innovation and research in type 1 diabetes, is now working withartificial pancreas technology provider Admetsys. The exact terms of the partnership werent disclosed, but T1D Exchange will allocate resources to continue the development of Admetsys Automated Insulin Delivery (AID) system for hospital use. The technology, which has been used in three clinical trials, uses a standard IV to draw a small blood sample every few minutes, measure glucose levels and return the blood back to the patient. From there, Admetsys creates a computational model to direct insulin dosages from syringe pumps. Glooko

Diabetes management company Glooko will detail results from two retrospective studies at ADA. The studies show that the Glooko mobile app led to a decrease in average blood glucose, estimated A1C (eA1C) and hyperglycemia rates in people with diabetes. Users of the mobile application also did more blood glucose testing than the control group.The drop in average blood glucose was 3.54 percent. App users were 4.38 percent less likely to experience hyperglycemic events. We are thrilled to see this additional clinical evidence that shows the positive impact Glooko can have on people with diabetes, Rick Altinger, CEO of Glooko, said in a statement. Glookos mission has always been to improve the clinical outcomes for people with diabetes by making diabetes management easier through digital tools. Our user satisfaction rates coupled with this clinical evidence adds credence to the investments that digital health companies have been making to improve the lives of people with chronic diseases. Ascensia & Voluntis Ascensia, a business unit created last year when Panasonic Healthcare Holdings acquired Bayer Diabetes Care, is now working with Paris, France-based app maker Voluntis. Ascensia makes the Contour Next One and Contour Next Link, a pair of connected glucometers that received FDA clearance last year, and Voluntis will develop an app called the Insulia Diabetes Management Companion for people with type 2 diabetes. The glucometers will connect via Bluetooth to the app, allowing blood glucose readings to be used to calculate insulin dosing.

Type 2 diabetes is a complex condition, especially for people using insulin therapy as part of their management. Were excited to be working together with Voluntis to empower people with Type 2 diabetes by helping them to better manage their insulin treatment, Ascensia CEO Michael Kloss said in a statement. This partnership helps us move further towards our ambition of providing integrated diabetes management, which we see as the future. It is our first partnership in the area of medication management, which is a critical component of integrated diabetes management, and we see Voluntis as a key partner in helping to deliver this goal.

DarioHealth

Israel-based smartphone-connected glucometer company DarioHealth isnt announcing data or new features at ATA but will announce a new social initiative called DarioCares. DarioHealth will donate a portion of its proceeds to charitable and nonprofit organizations working in the field of diabetes. "The ADA conference is one of the biggest annual events in the diabetes industry, Chairman and CEO Erez Raphael said in a statement. Many NGOs will be there and we look forward to strengthening our relationships with them and raising diabetes awareness. Furthermore, DarioCares is an excellent chance to play an active role with leading organizations that are driving change for people with diabetes. This is a win-win opportunity where we can make a significant contribution to the diabetes community."

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News and announcements from the American Diabetes Association conference - MobiHealthNews