Breaking News From #2018ADA

This page was last updated at 10:42 am PT June 25, 2018.

Editor’s Note: this article will be updated regularly with breaking news and announcements during the course of the ADA Scientific Sessions Conference. Check back often! Follow along on twitter at #2018ADA.

From Friday, June 22, until Tuesday, June 26th, the biggest diabetes conference of the year is taking place—the ADA’s 78th annual Scientific Sessions. This annual meeting of more than 13,000 professionals and experts brings together researchers, healthcare providers, diabetes technology companies and many more from around the globe.
In these five days, there will be over 2,800 original presentations on the latest advancements in research, treatment, and care for people living with diabetes. That’s a lot of news to take in! Beyond Type 1 is doing the hard work for you – check back here for a running feed of the most important and groundbreaking news coming out of the 78th Scientific Sessions, updated regularly over the course of the conference. Stay tuned and check back often!

Monday, June 25, 2018

Sunday, June 24, 2018

• People with type 1 diabetes who received quality of life intervention as part of diabetes management lowered HbA1c according to Lori LAFFEL at #2018ADA
• In a study led by Harpreet Nagra, MD, researchers considered the feasibility and effectiveness of screening for suicidal ideation in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D).
• Despite their connectedness online, teens generally appear to be less inclined to share information about diabetes on social media, according to Korey K. Hood, PhD, professor of pediatrics (endocrinology) and psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Lucille Salter Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford University,
• New research indicates people with type 1 diabetes who struggle to maintain glycemic control in target ranges may benefit improving blood glucose levels and weight loss by taking a daily dose of liraglutide as an additional treatment to insulin.

Saturday, June 23, 2018

• Insights from TEDDY study provide clues to islet autoimmunity in children showing that there are two diabetes-related endotypes defined by insulin autoantibodies or glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibodies as the first appearing autoantibody in children, and ongoing research suggests several maternal, childhood and familial factors play a role in islet autoimmunity risk.
• Omnipod® Hybrid Closed-Loop Insulin Delivery System Significantly Improves Glycemic Control in Adults with type 1 Diabetes according to “Safety and Performance of the Omnipod Hybrid Closed-Loop System in Adults with type 1 diabetes over Five Days Under Free-Living Conditions” study.
• New research finds that people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) who used the Diabeloop DBLG1 therapeutic, closed-loop insulin delivery system in a home setting experienced a greater percentage of time in the target blood glucose range and fewer hypoglycemic events compared to patients who used an open-loop system, consisting of their regular pump and sensor. The findings from the study, “Twelve-Week Home Use of Hybrid Closed-Loop Insulin Delivery System vs. Sensor-Assisted Pump Therapy in Adults with Type 1 Diabetes—Intermediate Results of the Multicenter Randomized Crossover Diabeloop WP7 Trial,” were presented today at #ADA2018
• Personalized text message interventions that incorporate the use of emojis and memes are more likely to engage adolescents with type 1 diabetes than automated messages, particularly for those who struggle with low diabetes self-management, according to David V. Wagner, PhD
• Rates of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in U.S. patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) may have dipped, possibly because of improving clinical care, a new study suggests.
• In presentation, Enrique Caballero, MD; Melinda Maryniuk, RD, CDE; and Betsy Rodriguez, RN, MSN, CDE emphasize provider and patient communication for diabetes management especially in cross cultural situations.
• OmniTIME study: Reducing basal insulin in people with Type 1 diabetes by 50–80% 90 minutes before exercise results in significantly smaller falls in blood glucose than suspending insulin at exercise onset.
• Viacyte announced two-year data from a Phase 1/2 Clinical Trial called “STEP ONE” evaluating the safety and efficacy of their implantable cell-based therapy for diabetes. The PEC-Encap combination product candidate consists of stem cell-derived pancreatic progenitor cells (PEC-01) encapsulated in a delivery device called the Encaptra® Cell Delivery System.  The results show that the PEC-Encap product candidate has (to date) been safe and well tolerated.  The Encaptra Cell Delivery System appears to protect the implanted cells from immune rejection and the patients from sensitization. Read more here.
• 6 month implantable CGM safe and accurate for teens and adults: Eversense XL demonstrated more than 80% agreement with reference glucose values over 180 days of continuous wear in a group of mostly adolescent patients with type 1 diabetes. This CGM is approved in Europe for use in adults for up to 180 days.
• Rabab Z. Jafri, MD and team announce research results: the Senseonics Eversense implantable CGM to be more accurate than the Dexcom G5 and the Abbott Freestyle Libre Pro devices.

Friday, June 22, 2018

• Free open-source CGM app Spike caused a stir – reportedly thrilling patients and alarming regulators – the free app aims to help users “Get the Most Out of Your CGM Transmitter.”Learn more here.
• Early research results – Dr. Simon Fisher, Univ of Utah, presented data from his lab on potential ways to lower mortality following severe hypoglycemia using sulfonylureas drugs (SUs).
• Medtronic announced  IBM-Watson powered Sugar.IQ(TM) smart diabetes assistant app (now commercially available to Guardian Connect users) improves time-in-range for patients by 36 minutes a day/9 days a year.
• Metronom Health, an Ascensia Diabetes Challenge Winner shared their vision for a future continuous glucose monitor (CGM) that is user friendly, accurate, and lower cost. Keep an eye out for increased competition in the CGM space!
• At #DData18 Friday, Crystal Broj of the AADE (American Association of Diabetes Educators) shared a sneak peak of DANA “Diabetes Advanced Network Access” – the AADE’s new members-only diabetes technology training and education site, featuring everything from the latest CGM device guidance, to diabetes mobile app reviews and technology-focused research.
• OneDrop – meter and digital therapeutic—announce “predictive insights” coming to the platform at #DData18, harnessing massive amounts of blood glucose (BG) data to give users information about where their blood sugar might be headed.
• Courtney Lias of the FDA clarifies yesterday’s Tandem Basal-IQ approval – it is approved for use with G5, G6, and potentially ANY future iCGM (sending data to pump via bluetooth).
• SOOIL, makers of the DANA RS pump—an insulin pump currently available outside the United States—announced Friday at #DData18 that they are planning to submit an FDA approval “in the next few months” for a pump that will be compatible/interoperable with the OpenAPS algorithm used by DIY closed-loopers. This will give DIY closed-loop users an FDA approved, commercially available pump to build with (rather than tracking down old Medtronic pumps for this use case).

Thursday, June 21, 2018

• FDA approves Eversense Glucose Monitor from Senseonics for use in the USA—an implantable glucose sensor that can monitor blood glucose levels continuously for up to three months. Approved for 18+.
• Medtronic’s 670G hybrid closed-loop system gets FDA approval for use in younger patients—now including ages 7-13.
• Insulin pump manufacturer Tandem announced FDA approval of their Basal-IQ™ technology, a predictive low glucose suspend (PLGS) feature approved for use with the t:slim X2™ Insulin Pump. Basal-IQ will predict and prevent future low blood sugars. It will roll out at the same time as the Dexcom G6 integration.
• Ahead of the official start of #2018ADA, Dr. Faustman’s lab announces eight-year follow up results from a Phase I clinical trial of the BCG Vaccine to treat Type 1 diabetes. Results? Patients remain on insulin, but require less of it, with overall lower A1Cs. More news on BCG Vaccine research expected over the course of the conference.