Glooko EU

Mobihealthnews has a post about Glooko, Europe and what the FDA allows here:

http://mobihealthnews.com/17771/glooko-launches-in-europe-mulls-bluetooth-smart/

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Help Duane Reade Give $100,000

One of my kids lives is NYC. Another is going to college there in the fall.  I have come to like Duane Reade stores from my visits to the City. Deane Reade is looking to make some charitable contributions in exchange for Facebook likes. I am OK with that. After liking them you can vote on how the funds get distributed. My friends at the ADA are one choice.

I am a big fan of the ADA. I am an ADA trained Safe at School advocate. I think ADA does great work all around. I have said before that Your Advocates Should Vary. I think ADA sure deserves a few clicks. Goto http://www.facebook.com/duanereade. Like Deane Reade and vote for our friends at the ADA.

(More info at: http://www.facebook.com/duanereade?v=app_177914495580579&rest=1)

You Can Do This

Thanks to everyone in the past decade who has told us, “You can do this.”

It wasn’t called social media but the internet has been a part of our diabetes experience from the very git go.

On our first day with diabetes, when our son was in the hospital, we mentioned his diagnosis on Disney web board. We are Disney freaks. We had a trip to the Magic Kingdom coming in just a few weeks. We were scared. As Disney freaks we were afraid that our vacations were in jeopardy, not just the one in a few weeks, a futures worth. And that was just one of a host of fears for the future.


The profound fear was a flood of emotions that made me feel that we were alone.


One of our Disney geek friends sent a reply that first day. He shared with us that he too was type 1. He knew us well. He knew the fear. He new a little humor could help.  He knew what I did not. He knew we could do this.

He told us one of his teenaged type 1 experiences. It was about his adventures as a squirter entrepreneur. The tale involved a heroic type 1 creatively recycling syringes and an oppressive regulatory villain, his high school principal. I laughed so hard I cried.* While there had been plenty of tears in the preceding hours these were the good kind -  the optimistic I can see there is a future, we can do this, kind.

We received more notes and letters from friends who we found out also lived with type 1. Since then we have made a universe of new friends who do too. We are stronger and better for every one of them.

One of those friends is celebrating an anniversary today. Not of a diagnosis. Something that I think is more profound. Organized optimism - Bringing together a growing collection of videos that simply share the message - You Can Do This.

Brilliant.


You Can Do This from Diabetes Hands Foundation on Vimeo.


You too can show your love for You Can Do This. Go to Vimeo here.  Click Share. Click Facebook and share it there, click Tweet and Tweet it and click any and all other social media links on that page. Doing so helps You Can Do This do more. Each like today June 15 is a vote to fund You Can Do This.

Diabetes is hard, helping You Can Do This is not. Just a few clicks. Go a head and click away.

You Can Do This.



*  You can find my retelling of the squirter story here at YDMV under the title A Little Help From Your Friends. 

Vote Often

Children's Hospital Of Philadelphia put us on their Facebook page.

That is an honor. CHOP is the best.

If anyone else feels inclined to make Connor’s bad hair day visible to the world click through to the the video at Vimeo’s, click the “share” button and share it on Facebook, Twitter Pintrest or any combination there of the options there. It will help get this project funded and, perhaps more importantly, demonstrate the dangers of going too long without a haircut.


Drinking with Diabetes from Diabetes Hands Foundation on Vimeo.


Vote early and often.

What's Next?

My Children with diabetes each graduated to new stages in their lives this week. 'Lanes will be in high school next year. That is a good thing. More impressive today was the dress she wore. She made it. She regularly surprises me with creativity. She draws and paints, loves anime and on her second attempt at sewing made this graduation dress. I went with her to buy the tule. She bought a spectacular amount of it but to good effect. This is the only full picture I have of her in it. It isn't the best picture but all the rest of my photos have classmates and lots of hugging. I noticed that any time a picture was being taken of one of them it rapidly become 3, 4, 6 or more. Her's is an outstanding class.

Connor graduated from high school six days ago, with honors he is very proud to say. So are we. He was also in every stage production the school put on in his 4 years, with the lead role in 7 of them. We're kinda proud of that too. He didn't make his tux, but it is his and he wears it well. He will be at Fordham University at Lincoln Center next fall studying theater and just found out he earned an arts scholarship from Diabetes Scholars.

All in all, it has been a great week. 

LGS in USA?

Medtronic announced today that their Low Glucose Suspend pump is into the FDA for a PMA aka blessing. Good news and a step towards innovation in insulin pump care. 

FDA to Review World’s First Insulin Pump with Threshold Suspend – Another Significant Step Toward the Artificial PancreasMINNEAPOLIS – June 8, 2012 –In the next step toward the development of an artificial pancreas, Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE:MDT) today announced that it has filed the final module of its Pre-Market Approval (PMA) application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the MiniMed® 530G system featuring Threshold Suspend Automation. If approved by the FDA, the MiniMed® 530G system will be the only integrated insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor in the United States that automatically suspends insulin delivery if the sensor glucose value is equal to or below the low threshold value.

Read more about it here:

http://wwwp.medtronic.com/Newsroom/NewsReleaseDetails.do?itemId=1339159198703&lang=en_US

Glooko Cable, The summer Sequel.

There is a press release out today that Glooko and Accu-Chek can talk. Very cool news. I like to see BG data moving into collaborative channels.

Roche Diabetes Care and Glooko, Inc. join forces to provide ACCU-CHEK meter users an easy solution to download their meter readings directly into their Apple iPhone® or iPod touch.

 
Download image

PALO ALTO, Calif. and INDIANAPOLIS, May 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Glooko, Inc., makers of an innovative diabetes logbook solution, and Roche Diabetes Care, makers of ACCU-CHEK blood glucose monitoring systems, insulin pumps and information management solutions, today announced their co-promotion of the Glooko Logbook solution in the U.S.  With the introduction of the Glooko IR Adapter, ACCU-CHEK customers who prefer to manage their diabetes on their iPhone or iPod touch can now use the Glooko MeterSync Cable and the Glooko Logbook app. With the Glooko products, not only can ACCU-CHEK users download their blood glucose readings from their meter, but they can also add notes and view the information anytime, anywhere on their mobile devices to help them monitor their blood glucose values.

Source: PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1cZWd)

More:

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/glooko-launches-the-glooko-ir-adapter-to-give-accu-chek-blood-glucose-meter-customers-access-to-the-glooko-logbook-solution-155668865.html 

Grail-like Glucagon

From the News Wire:

LATITUDE Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Develops a Stable Liquid Glucagon Formulation

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LATITUDE Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (LPI) announced today that its scientists have developed the first ever, ready-to-inject, stable liquid glucagon formulation (Nano-G). A glucagon formulation with these properties had been a highly sought after Holy Grail of drug developers for decades. 

Currently, glucagon is indicated for emergency treatment of insulin-induced hypoglycemia and as a diagnostic aid for radiological examinations. Researchers have long been interested in evaluating glucagon for hypoglycemia prevention, the bi-hormonal insulin/glucagon pump and the treatment of obesity but have been thwarted by the absence of a stable injectable glucagon formulation. 

Glucagon is a notoriously insoluble and unstable molecule and is therefore provided as a dried powder. Before use, the glucagon is dissolved in an acid solution by following a cumbersome, eight-step procedure that becomes an outsized task during life-threatening hypoglycemia.

Glucagon, while useful stuff, kind of fall short of my Holy Grail Test. Sure cures fall into Grail status. I think prevention would come real close too. I have also written about side orders to go with the grail like some basic integration of management tools. We each seek our own Grail and I am happy that stable liquid glucagon was someone's.

I am a big fan of progress. Automation in the prevention of hypos would be progress. There are smart smart folks working to AP projects. That is great. For me this is better and Better is Better. Dual hormone pumps with very good logic tools to support them is better. Staying in range more of the time is better. Glucose responsive insulins that make hypos history would be that much more.

The Grail? Cures. Not a cure, Cures. 'cause I know enough about type 1 diabetes to know that one size doesn't fit all. I also know enough to know progress is one step at a time.

Mostly I know this about Grails, nobody ever find them (except for Sean Connery & Harrison Ford.) When you find what you thought may be a Grail you discover a new passion.

So lift your glass and toast pursuing passion.  

Dexcom Earnings Call: Diabetes CGM Crystal Ball

Dexcom management provided a quarterly update as part of their earrings call last week. It contained forward looking statements so take it with that caveat. As far as I am concerned, as the parent of two T1D teens, that is the interesting stuff.

You can play it here: Listen to webcast

• They filed a PMA for the Gen 4 sensor at the end of Q1. Terry Gregg called the product “Truly Remarkable.” They will be presenting details at ADA on June 8. Boy would I like to be there. 
• The Gen 4 sensor was said to be better in all respects than the Seven +. He said it would be 20% more accurate in general and 25% more accurate better in hypo range. 
• The Gen 4 is said to have better range up to 30 feet than the Seven +. This was reflected in the high number of data captures in the trials.
• The FDA has responded with a “Rapid Responce.” He said that the FDA is doing everything in their power to get the thing through their process. The agency has reached out and Dexcom was clear to give the FDA credit for their efforts in the approval process.
• The Gen 4 is believed to be able to function with reduced calibration needs. Dexcom is  exploring how to submit later for lower calibration requirements possibly for Gen 4 or 5. Ultimately the goal of Dexcom is to eliminate the need for calibration but lets be clear that goal not a current expectation of the Gen 4 product.
• The stand alone Gen 4 product is expected to get a CE mark and enter the market in the summer.  
• The Gen 4 membrane will be used for the Gen 5 product. 
• They may explore trials for approval for a longer life of the Gen 4 sensor. There was extensive conversation around that around the 38 minute mark.  I found it fascinating but I’m a little geeky. 
• Gen 5 is a connectivity platform; to smart phones, remote monitors and the Tandem and Roche pumps. At about 45 minutes there was more on that, data integrity and conversations with the FDA. Again good geek stuff, actual humans may find it less exciting.
• They are spending R&D to an automated inserter.
• Terry Gregg mentioned and agreement with Qualcomm to integrate GDM into the hub for transmission to the SweetSpot Cloud. Understanding that is probably worth digging around Google from more information. 

In full disclosure, I own Dexcom shares. 

Philly Adult T1D Event

Enjoy the Preakness and Party with the Phila JDRF Young Leadership Committee.

Saturday, May 19, 3pm - 6pm City Tap House.