Diabetes body and BD collaborate to improve insulin pump delivery
The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), a charitable funder and advocate of diabetes science worldwide, and BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) are to run a programme aimed at improving the treatment of type 1 diabetes by developing novel insulin delivery products to enhance the use of insulin pumps.
The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), a charitable funder and advocate of diabetes science worldwide, and BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) are to run a programme aimed at improving the treatment of type 1 diabetes by developing novel insulin delivery products to enhance the use of insulin pumps.
Through the program, JDRF will support BD's r&d of new products that deliver insulin from a pump to a patient in either an infusion set or patch-pump configuration. Research indicates that there are significant opportunities to enhance pump therapy by improving convenience as well as minimising pain, kinking, occlusions and site infections.
An additional goal of the programme is improving the speed at which insulin works. These enhancements are intended to improve how people with diabetes control their insulin therapy and have a positive impact on their overall level of glycemic control.
The JDRF will invest $4.3 m in milestone-based financial support over the next few years for these projects.
Linda Tharby, president, BD Medical - Diabetes Care, said: 'This collaboration with JDRF demonstrates BD's commitment to leveraging our expertise as a leader in insulin injection and acute care infusion to improve the patient experience for insulin pump users.'
The evaluation of new delivery technologies, including BD microneedles, will be an important objective of this programme.
Microneedles are tiny needles that deliver insulin just beneath the skin, increasing the speed of insulin uptake and may be virtually pain free. Microdelivery technology development will focus on improved glucose control and ultimately the use of the technology as a critical element of closed-loop artificial pancreas systems. One day these systems might sense blood glucose levels and automatically administer the proper dosage of insulin in response.
Pumps offer flexibility and precision in controlling diabetes, which is a constant challenge for someone with diabetes. Research shows that most people with diabetes spend the majority of the day with blood sugar levels outside recommended ranges, which can lead to devastating and costly short- and long-term complications.