SYMLIN Pens Available & Other News

Prom the press release wire:

SymlinPen Offers Convenient SYMLIN Administration for Enhanced Glucose Control
SAN DIEGO, Jan. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/

Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(Nasdaq: AMLN) announced today the availability of the SymlinPen(TM) 120 and the SymlinPen(TM) 60 pen-injector devices for administering SYMLIN(R)(pramlintide acetate) injection. These new pre-filled pen-injector devices feature simple, fixed dosing to improve mealtime glucose control.

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS115027+07-Jan-2008+PRN20080107


A patent for low dose Glucogon

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- DiObex, Inc., a privately
heldbiotechnology company developing treatments for metabolic diseases, announcedtoday that it has secured a critical patent from the U.S. Patent and TrademarkOffice for the use of very low dose glucagon, or DIO-901, in the prevention ofinsulin-induced hypoglycemia in diabetes patients. The patent grants DiObexexclusive rights to methods of reducing the risk of hypoglycemia in diabetespatients being treated with insulin by administering very low doses ofglucagon. "This patent protection strengthens our commitment to delivering the firstproduct to the market for the prevention of insulin-induced hypoglycemia indiabetes," CEO David Cory said. "DIO-901 is the only therapeutic indevelopment to prevent insulin-induced hypoglycemia, which is known to limitoptimal glycemic control and cause recurring medical
complications in mostpeople with type 1 diabetes, in many with type 2 diabetes, and is sometimesfatal."

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS124022+08-Jan-2008+PRN20080108

So haven't people been using low doses of glucogon all along? How do you get a patent for what people are alredy doing. I wonder if this has implications for a closed loop artificial pancreaus. I would think that providing glucogon could be part of the program.

Does anyone know more about this?

It’s (almost) a Free Market – So Step Up

Omni Pod’s announcement today with DexCom put some of the bigger players in the looking like slugs category.

Fist Abbott who bought out the Navigator seems stuck in the FDA mud. There has been all kinds of buzz about the Navigator and it being the inevitable winner in the CGM market place. Tomorrow is the New Hampshire primary and I have to think Abbott is looking a lot like Hillary. Crowned the winner by the pundits but not showing up in the polls. I don’t know what the deal with Abbott is but Omni Pod is looking real smart hedging their bets.

“The agreement is non-exclusive and does not impact any of Insulet's existing third party development agreements.” In other words Omni Pod is still going to keep the door open if Abbott ever get off their butts. In the mean time they are working with Dex.

In a free market those of us shopping for a pump would be able to match it with the CGM that suits our needs and visa versa. - not having the choice dictated by big medical companies keeping things in their house (MiniMed.) Kudos to Omni Pod for getting that.

This leaves Animas the wall flower in the pump CGM dance. Hey Animas, I love you guys. Your service is great. Your support a holistic approach to type 1 wins you some additional loyalty.

But the CGM/Pump combination is a ship that is leaving port. A lot of us were hoping that J&J would bring some capital to help promote innovation. It doesn’t seem to be the case. Best thing to come from the J&J take over was a bounce in the share price.

The 2020 is incrementally an improvement. Pink is a winner with my 10 year old. I think more in the features department would be better. The new software is not winning any rave reviews on line. It isn’t web enabled. It isn’t up to a CGM. Diabetes has more statistics than Major League Baseball. J&J seems to have left Animas in the farm team. Color is good, features are better.

So here we have two big company heavy hitters, Abbott and J&J, folks with Yankee resources who seem to be all about their AA team in Toledo. Dudes act like Big Leaguers - step up. You need to be on the field to win.


(Full Financial Disclosure: I have a few shares of DexCom – it was the only pure CGM play I could find. I had shares of Animas before J&J bought them out. I thought I had some Abbott too but I looked at my IRA statement and I don’t have any of them or J&J. I would be real psyched if I could move the market but let’s get real - I’m no Oracle of Omaha)

Omni Pod & DexCom Announce Agreement

Hot off the news wire Omni Pod and DexCom toys are going to be talking. Hello Abbott? you are loosing ground:

Insulet Corporation (Nasdaq: PODD - News), the leader in wearable insulin pump technology with its OmniPod® Insulin Management System, and DexCom, Inc. (Nasdaq: DXCM - News), a leading provider of continuous glucose monitoring systems for people with diabetes, announced today they have signed a development agreement to integrate DexCom's continuous glucose monitoring technology into the wireless, handheld OmniPod System Personal Diabetes Manager (PDM). In addition to programming the patient's insulin delivery, the PDM with integrated DexCom technology will receive and display continuous glucose readings from DexCom's wearable sensor transmitter...

...The agreement is non-exclusive and does not impact any of Insulet's existing third party development agreements.

More at:

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080107/nym062.html?.v=96

Newbie Advice

This is the first in what I intend to be a few short bits on tips for newbies. Hopefully I can pass on some mildly useful advice with a bit of humor to help folks new to type 1 or at least give’m a small chuckle. Comments and corrections are appreciated.



Listen up Newbie!
Newbie Advice: The Long Run
Newbie Advice I: Insulin Resistance
Newbie Advice II: Pain in the Alliteration
A Little Help From Your Friends
A Little (More) Help From Your Friends
Newbie Advice III – Why aren’t we in The Caymans?
Newbie Advice IV: Never Buy a Meter
Fatherhood and Trenches
Snickering All the Way
I know one of your fears.
Who Best to Say You Will Be Okay.

Newbie Advice I: Insulin Resistance

If you are new to type 1 I hope you like mind games. Diabetes is all about the mind games.

Welcome to the club! While you master the secret handshake, I’ll spill the beans on one of type 1’s little mind games. It has a lot of mind games so it is not like I am depriving you of a surprise by letting one out of the hat, you will get plenty of them.

I call this one “Maybe the Doctor was Wrong.” The professionals call it insulin resistance. (The professionals call a lot of stuff by funny names but that's another post.)

When that first diagnosis happens, you start taking insulin with a needle. Relatively large amounts. I’ll explain relative to what, here in a few seconds, that’s the whole trick. For now you don’t know jack and don’t know a trick is at hand. If you are like I was mostly you’re working past your needle phobia (I HATE needles,.)

You are doing what the doctor says. Doing what the doctor says is a good plan, I recommend it. You are doing it and in a few days, maybe a week, you start running low. A lot.

You get a little panicky because at Children’s Hospital they beat into you that lows are dangerous. This is all so new.., and you’re worried you doing it wrong... and you tried to do everything right... and your trying to chart trends... and your sister’s cousin’s friend says you can cure diabetes with cinnamon... and you didn’t really believe it but you put a little in the apple sauce... and NOW YOU HAVE LOWS!

WTF!

So you cut back on the insulin. You have talked to the doctors office about this and you’re using less now than before.

You’re still run low. You cut back more.

Next thing you know you are hardly using any insulin compared to what you started with. (See that is the relative I was talking about, well that and your sister’s cousin’s friend) You think, “Maybe it isn’t diabetes. Maybe it is some funny cold like thing that looks like diabetes but goes away in a week or two! Maybe there is something to the cinnamon in the apple sauce. Maybe the Doctor was Wrong!”

Sorry. No such luck. It is Diabetes.

Welcome to the club. Diabetes loves mind games, this is one of its games. Your sister’s cousin’s friend hasn’t got a clue but diabetes is having a huge laugh tricking you into thinking they may.

Here is the deal. Initially people are resistant to injected insulin. They just don’t use it well. Also the poor beleaguered pancreases is still putting out a little insulin of its own and with injected insulin, that the body is becoming less resistant to, the need for injected insulin has declined, to almost nothing. In some cases, just the long term stuff.

It doesn’t last all that long – just long enough for the mind games to really work you over. In time you start seeing the numbers go up and you slowly work more insulin into the program. The net effect may be little more than to help make you crazy.

I didn’t learn this game; really believe it was a mind game, until after the second kid’s diagnosis.

You are brilliant if you come away with from it with the idea that what worked yesterday may not work today - Your Diabetes May Vary.

More YDMV Newbie Tips: http://www.ydmv.net/2008/01/newbie-advice.html

Miscellaneous Chemistry News

Biodel issued a press release stating the have completed enrollment of two phase III trials of their new fast acting insulin. They also announced plans to build and operate a manufacturing facility.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080103/nyth117.html?.v=101

As I understand it they are making a faster acting insulin. Faster would bolus better and shorten insulin on board times. It sounded interesting enough that when they issued an IPO I bought a few shares not so sure I would be the first person to sign their kids up to use it but time will tell.


Diabetes Health ran an article on c-peptides. Now I am the first to admit I don't know much other than c-peptides are used in diabetes diagnosis to distinguish between T1 and T2. This article is a nice little primer on c-peptides.

The article suggest thinking has been they don't do much. My thought is regardless of your thought on evolution or creation why would either have something being produced that doesn't do anything? More likely we just don't know what it does yet.
http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2008/01/03/5612.html

Hey! Technology Works!

Who would have thought it?

Listening to insurance companies and my favorite whipping boy you get the idea that CMGs are not helping anyone. I guess their message didn't make it to Billings. Ken Dow there things CGM has added years to his life.

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/01/03/news/local/21-diabetes.txt

Just under the mast head there is a menu to rate the story. Lets see if we can get this story a bunch of top scores.

An Unsung Hero

I get irritated by poor reporting on diabetes. - the cinnamon is a cure and you what you ate caused type 1 stuff. I need to recognize brilliant writing when it come along too, not just get irritated

Here are some highlights of a praise worth piece in the Huntsville Times.

"Joseph was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 13. He had no family history of the disease and was an active and healthy child who would give up sweets for home-cooked vegetables.

"One of the most frustrating things for Joseph is most people's misunderstanding of the differences between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Many people do not realize the two are totally different. Type 1 diabetes means your pancreas no longer produces any insulin. You are completely dependent on getting insulin through shots or with a pump.

"After one of the first (football) games of this season, The Times called Joseph an "unsung hero," referring to his efforts in the previous game.

"Little did the writer know just what an unsung hero he actually is."

Carter Hamric, Madison Academy Senior, is a brilliant writer see the full article at: http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/news/119909612773820.xml&coll=1

4am Matters

Connor has been going to bed and getting up with fairly consistent numbers. You would think that is a good thing.

Mrs YDMV was up testing Delaney and decided to check Connor too. Nice low 120s at bed time and waking up. Mid 200s at 4:00.

Doh!

4 am matters.

This wasn't a swimming night. On swimming nights he is low to fine at 4:00. Assuming this proves to be a trend, I guess we are going to have to have a swimming night and non swimming night basal profile.

YDMV even when your asleep.

What’s YDMV in Arabic?

I was scrolling through the last few referrals to YDMV and there was this translation link. I got to wondering if my goofy ramblings make any sense in Arabic?

I had the pleasure of meting a few folks from UAE at CWD’s conference last summer. One lady was the mom of a son who was diagnosed very young and was now doing fine in his 20s. She was justifiably proud. Another was a young woman who spoke eloquently about the importance of parental trust. It was apparent that the care diabetes part translates just fine and that some of the issues, like parents worrying about type 1 teens, are the same regardless of the side of the globe we are born on.

Still, I wonder how well my goofy Your Diabetes May Vary ramblings translate. Most of the time I don’t know what I am writing about until it comes out in type. I frequently abuse the norms of the King’s English in favor of down home colloquialisms. So it isn’t much of a stretch to say I don’t know what I am talking about, at least when I start typing.

I gotta wonder how I sound to a different culture. I guess that culture may be one of the things that varies, I trust that care for the kids doesn’t.