In this week’s issue of The Savvy Diabetic:
-
-
- Senseonics Launches Eversense 365 CGM with Sequel twiist Pump
- Global Economic Burden of Diabetes to Exceed $10 Trillion
- Implantable Device Containing Islet Cells Survives in First Human Trial
- What a “Cure” for Diabetes Actually Involves
- Analysts Downgrade Beta Bionics on New Patient Starts Miss
- This Is the Blood Glucose Monitor We’ve Been Waiting For
- GlucoModicum Unveils Sofio™, World’s First Needle-Free Glucose Monitor
- GLP-1s for Type 1 Diabetes: Are We There Yet?
- Ozempic Side Effects Nobody Warned Me About by DiabetesNerd
- 5 Mistakes GLP-1 Users Don’t Realize They Are Making by DiabetesNerd
- Civica’s Affordable Long-Acting Insulin Now Available!
- AI App Accurately Identifies Gluten-Free Packaged Foods
- New Islet Cell Transplant Technique Life-Changing for Diabetes Patient
-
Senseonics Launches Eversense 365 CGM with Sequel twiist Pump by Sean Whooley for DrugDeliveryBusiness.com, 8 January 2026.
Senseonics announced the launch of its Eversense 365 sensor with the Sequel Med Tech twiist pump. The companies said that the first commercial patients have now received their paired continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and automated insulin delivery (AID) system. The collaboration made twiist the first AID system compatible with Eversense 365, the world’s first and only one-year CGM.
Senseonics launched Eversense 365 with its global distribution partner, Ascensia Diabetes Care, in October 2024. It has since taken over full commercial activity for the technology. The system also received clearance as an integrated CGM (iCGM) system – it can work with compatible medical devices, including insulin pumps, as part of automated insulin delivery systems.
Eversense 365, an implantable system, remains under the skin for a year. Users can change their external, silicone-based adhesive daily with almost no skin reactions. Tim Goodnow, president and CEO of Senseonics, said: “While our technologies are unique, our goal is the same – to improve lives and reduce complexity for patients living with diabetes. We are proud to partner with Sequel and provide the necessary glucose monitoring data to power the twiist Loop algorithm, which enables real-time insulin delivery decisions through the twiist pump. Patients and providers want reliable, long-term automated glucose readings, and we’ve taken a major step forward in simplifying and personalizing diabetes management by integrating Eversense 365’s one-year CGM system with the twiist AID system for patients that require insulin.”
Read more: Senseonics launches Eversense 365 CGM with Sequel twiist pump
Global Economic Burden of Diabetes to Exceed $10 Trillion by Radcliffe CVRM.com, 6 January 2026.
Diabetes mellitus, which affects more than one in ten adults worldwide, is projected to impose a substantial global economic burden of over $10 trillion between 2020 and 2050, according to a new modelling study published in Nature Medicine. The analysis highlights the immense cost of the disease, particularly when accounting for informal care, and reveals a significant disparity in economic impact across different regions of the world.
Excluding the cost of informal care, the global macroeconomic burden of diabetes is estimated at $10.2 trillion in 2017 international dollars (INT$), equivalent to an annual tax of 0.22% of global gross domestic product (GDP). The absolute costs are highest in the United States (INT$2.5 trillion), India (INT$1.6 trillion), and China (INT$1.0 trillion). The burden increases dramatically when informal caregiving is included, rising to INT$78.8 trillion, or 1.72% of the annual global GDP. Informal care accounted for over 84% of the total economic burden across all regions.
According to the authors, Dr. Simiao Chen and colleagues, “These findings highlight the uneven distribution of diabetes’s economic impact and underscore the urgent need for effective global interventions.” The results suggest that policies aimed at mitigating diabetes should also support informal caregivers to reduce overall economic strain.
The authors suggest that strengthening public health interventions is essential to protect global health and economic well-being. Key strategies include promoting lifestyle interventions, enhancing cost-effective screening for prediabetes and undiagnosed diabetes, and ensuring early diagnosis and treatment to reduce the long-term health and economic consequences of the disease.
This study was funded by Horizon Europe, the China Medical Board, and the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China.
Read more: Global Economic Burden of Diabetes to Exceed $10 Trillion
Implantable Device Containing Islet Cells Survives in First Human Trial, posted by Ginger Vieira on Instagram.com/gingervieira.t1d/, 7 January 2026.
On January 6, 2026, an implantable device from Encellin Biotechnology containing islet cells – which produce insulin – passed its first test in human trials. The device was surgically implanted in 5 participants with Type 1 diabetes. After 4 months, new blood vessels had successfully grown around the device, supplying it with blood and oxygen. There was minimal scar tissue, and the encapsulated human islet cells were still alive.
This is a Phase 1 safety trial, focused primarily on the device’s safety and the body’s response to it. The results mark the first time an implantable device has successfully avoided the formation of scar tissue and protected encapsulated beta cells. Without immunosuppression!
Read more: Encellin’s Cell Therapy Trial delivers promising results
What a “Cure” for Diabetes Actually Involves by Dan Heller for DanHeller.substack.com, 6 January 2026.
The running joke in the T1D community is that a “cure” is only five years away… and always will be. And yet, that cure just remains on the five-year horizon. The reason for this is a disconnect among several things: what the science tells us, what the researchers are actually investigating, and what the headlines say when that research is published.
To unpack all this, we start with the basic science, which begins with two key technical challenges: the immune system and the Islets of Langerhans. These are two completely different and equally difficult challenges, and a true “cure” requires both.
However, there are also three different types of people affected by T1D:
-
-
-
- Those who are susceptible but don’t have it yet. For them, prevention is the primary goal, which is not a “cure”, per se. Here, this is strictly about the immune system. Beta cell function is still intact.
- Those whose autoimmunity has already started to destroy beta cells, but still have some beta cell function. For them, preservation is the goal. Here, we may want to augment existing beta-cell function, but it’s still primarily about the immune system.
- The last group includes those whose immune systems have completely destroyed their beta cells—full-onset T1D. Here, you need to both restore the immune system and generate brand-new islets of Langerhans. This is the only true “cure”. Beta cell replacement is insufficient.
-
-
Most of the research focuses on the immune system, with very scant effort to build full islets from scratch, largely because the latter task is still far beyond the theoretical limits of solving that problem.
Dan Heller does a deep dive into all aspects of “cure” for Type 1 diabetes … and it all makes sense!
We cannot let hopes and dreams cloud the reality of Mother Nature. In the meantime, the best way to prepare for a cure — whatever form it eventually takes — is to adopt habits that make living with T1D today healthier and, surprisingly, easier. The habits that keep you healthy today are the same ones that will matter after any cure arrives — assuming one ever does.
Read more: What a “Cure” for Diabetes Actually Involves
Analysts Downgrade Beta Bionics on New Patient Starts Miss by Sean Whooley for DrugDeliveryBusiness.com, 9 January 2026.
Analysts downgraded Beta Bionics to “Neutral” following preliminary fourth-quarter results that fell shy of expectations. Shares of BBNX fell 35% to $20.86 apiece in early-morning trading today. Beta Bionics, which has completed its first full year as a public company following its IPO last year, pre-announced fourth-quarter revenues of $32 million. That came in ahead of projections for $28.9 million in sales and marked a 56% year-over-year increase. The company expects its installed customer base to reach at least 35,000 users, marking an uptick of at least 128%. compared to the same period a year ago.
However, the company reports expectations for at least 5,581 new patient starts for its iLet automated insulin delivery system. While that represents a 36% increase from last year, BofA analyst Travis Steed wrote in a report that this tally comes in 4% shy of Wall Street projections. Steed said analysts expected more momentum in new patient starts amid an “increasingly competitive” market. “The bar for sustained upside becomes even more paramount without profitability,” Steed wrote. Beta Bionics didn’t expand its sales force in the recent quarter, and the analyst says that new reps “would have provided more upside.”
Additionally, as reported by Emily J. Thomson for Intellectia.ai, Legal Investigation Initiated: The Schall Law Firm is investigating whether Beta Bionics made false or misleading statements, potentially exposing the company to significant legal risks and investor losses, highlighting concerns over compliance and transparency.
Read more:
This Is the Blood Glucose Monitor We’ve Been Waiting For by Adrienne So for Wired.com, 8 January 2026.
The Isaac is a small device, about the size of a quarter. Instead of tracking blood glucose optically through the skin, it measures volatile organic compounds in your breath to detect biomarkers, such as acetone, that correlate with rising blood glucose levels.
You might not be able to wear it in a smart ring or watch, but a small device that you can wear around your neck or keep in your bag without having to retreat to the bathroom to prick your skin is a huge step up in quality of life for many, many people.
The Isaac is named after the inventor’s grandson, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 2 years old. It’s a small disc, with a loop at the top so that you can wear it around your neck (a key feature if your market includes small children). When you breathe onto it, the device computes your blood sugar and logs it into the companion smartphone app.
PreEvnt and Wilcox showcased the concept at CES 2025 (it didn’t seem real then, either). Later that year, the device entered active human clinical trials at Indiana University. The study compares Isaac’s performance in monitoring blood sugar levels with traditional blood sugar monitoring.
The trials are being conducted with an eye toward regulatory review by the US Food and Drug Administration in the upcoming year. “This is a de novo application, so we’re educating the FDA as we’re working with them,” says Fredrick Brooks, PreEvnt’s director of health technologies, referring to the FDA’s pathway to getting a device to market while it’s still being assessed.
Read more: This Is the Blood Glucose Monitor We’ve Been Waiting For
GlucoModicum Unveils Sofio™, World’s First Needle-Free Glucose Monitor based on magneto-hydrodynamics (MHD) in a press release by GlucoModicum and published by BioSpace.com, 18 December 2025.
GlucoModicum introduced Sofio™, a new glucose monitoring device that measures glucose through skin without using needles, supported by extensive multi-year clinical studies.
Sofio uses patented magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) to draw a micro-sample of interstitial fluid through skin, where glucose is measured using established glucose oxidase enzyme chemistry, the same method used in medical-grade glucose meters and CGMs. It is designed for people who don’t need 24/7 monitoring.
“Needle-free glucose monitoring has been one of the most elusive goals in diabetes management for over thirty years,” said Jokke Mäki, CEO of GlucoModicum. “Our MHD-based approach takes a different route, enabling accurate glucose measurement without needles while relying on the established biosensing chemistry used in clinical devices.”
Read more: GlucoModicum unveils Sofio™, the world’s first needle-free glucose monitor
More on GLP-1s:
GLP-1s for Type 1 Diabetes: Are We There Yet? with Dr. Cecilia Low Wong with Stacey Simms for Diabetes-Connections.com, 6 January 2026.
One of the sure-thing top stories of 2026 will be GLP1s, but will we see more studies and even approval for treating type 1 with these medications? We’re talking about Ozempic, Mounjaro, and the next versions like Retatrutide – that are just around the corner. I’m talking to Dr. Cecelia Lo Wong, a diabetologist at the University of Colorado who’s been on the front lines of this conversation for years, including serving on FDA advisory committees.
This is a wide-ranging interview – we also talk about the growing needs of older adults with type 1 diabetes, how kidney and cardiovascular risk guidelines are evolving, and why managing diabetes in the hospital can still be such a challenge.
**************************************************************************
Ozempic Side Effects Nobody Warned Me About by Ginger Vieira for Youtube.com/@DiabetesNerd, 6 January 2026.
Are you using a GLP-1 like Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy, or Zepbound? These are great medications, and they can even be life-changing! But there are a few things you need to keep in mind, whether you’re in it for the long haul or are just using them short-term. These are common mistakes new GLP-1 users make. Don’t be one of them!
5 Mistakes GLP-1 Users Don’t Know They’re Making by Ginger Vieira for Youtube.com/@DiabetesNerd, 18 November 2025.
Civica’s Affordable Long-Acting Insulin Now Available! by Brian Herrick for BreakthroughT1D.org, 5 January 2026.
Nearly 3 years after Breakthrough T1D joined forces with Civica, a non-profit pharmaceutical company, its first insulin is now available for purchase at pharmacies across the country.
Civica insulin glargine-yfgn. It will have a “CalRx” label in California. It is a long-acting insulin interchangeable with Lantus. Broad availability is expected at U.S. pharmacies as production increases. Ask your pharmacist.
-
-
-
- If you have health insurance: Check your plan’s formulary to ensure Civica insulin glargine-yfgn is listed. If so, just ask your pharmacy to order it when you take in (or refill) your prescription.
- If you are paying cash: Cash-paying patients can buy Civica insulin glargine-yfgn at the manufacturer’s recommended price, without any coupons or patient assistance program needed. Just ask your pharmacy to order it when you take in (or refill) your prescription.
- For Californians: Civica’s insulin glargine-yfgn is available under the CalRx brand in California pharmacies.
-
-
Max recommended price: $55 per box of five pens. Your cost may be lower depending on insurance. This is the lowest list price for long-acting insulin, without hidden rebates or markups. If you already have a prescription for insulin glargine (e.g., Lantus), you do not need a new one because Civica insulin glargine-yfgn is interchangeable. Confirm with your provider and pharmacist.
Read more: Civica.org
AI App Accurately Identifies Gluten-Free Packaged Foods by Archita Rai for Medscape.com, 31 December 2025.
An artificial intelligence (AI)-powered smartphone application achieves 99% accuracy in classifying gluten-free compatibility of packaged foods, with results closely aligned with expert dietitian evaluations. This study was led by Jamil S. Samaan, MD, Karsh Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles. It was published online in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
Patients with celiac disease require strict adherence to a gluten-free diet, yet inconsistent labeling and limited access to dietary expertise can hinder compliance. A custom AI-powered smartphone application that leverages image recognition, natural language processing, and large language models was used to extract and interpret label information and classify gluten-free compatibility at both the product and ingredient levels.
-
-
-
- Expert dietitians identified 64% of products and 95.9% of ingredients as compatible with a gluten-free diet. However, only 37.5% of the products classified as gluten-free by experts had an appropriate gluten-free label.
- The AI-powered application achieved 99% accuracy at the product level and 99.8% accuracy at the ingredient level.
-
-
Read more: AI App Accurately Identifies Gluten-Free Packaged Foods
New Islet Cell Transplant Technique Life-Changing for Diabetes Patient by Abe Rosenberg for CityofHope.org, 13 November 2025.
City of Hope’s work with islet cell transplants — injecting diabetes patients with clusters of insulin-producing cells harvested from a donated pancreas – has very strict study acceptance criteria. “We accept only about 2% of the applicants,” explained Fouad R. Kandeel, M.D., Ph.D. A 31-year veteran of City of Hope, he is director of the Islet Cell Transplantation Program and the Arthur D. Riggs Distinguished Chair in Diabetes & Metabolism Research.
Since 2004, City of Hope has performed more than 60 such transplants, advancing science while awaiting eventual Food and Drug Administration approval. (The FDA considers islet cell transplant to be “investigational,” or experimental, meaning that the intervention is being studied to determine if it is safe and effective. Currently, each procedure receives limited approval under the “investigational new drug” category.
Typically, islet transplant patients must undergo several procedures because a single donated pancreas doesn’t provide enough islet cells. Even with multiple donors, there’s no guarantee that the patient can be totally weaned off insulin. But Kandeel had a different idea for Jodi Cruz, the 45-year-old mother of three from Irvine, California, who had struggled with type 1 diabetes for 30 years, ever since getting diagnosed as a teenager, and together they made a bit of history. The difference was gastrin.
As a fetus develops, the pancreas produces the hormone gastrin, which helps form those critical insulin-making cells. At birth, gastrin production switches from the pancreas to the stomach, where it regulates acid secretion. After seeing promising results in animal studies, Kandeel set out to develop a form of gastrin he could give his patients to help their transplanted cells take root and multiply.
On July 7, 2019, Cruz became the first patient to participate in Kandeel’s new gastrin clinical trial: the first in the world to undergo an islet cell transplant from a single donor, enhanced by two courses of gastrin.
It worked beyond anyone’s expectations. The transplanted cells engrafted and functioned so robustly, Cruz never needed any additional donors. She was able to discontinue insulin treatment completely, and she did so faster than any other patient — even those who received multiple donations — ever had. “[Jodi] was insulin-free after just 11 days,” recalled Kandeel. “Normally, it can take as long as 2 1/2 months.” And for the first time since her diagnosis three decades before, Cruz had stable blood sugar levels.
To find out more about islet cell transplant at City of Hope, please to CityofHope.org/islets, call 866-44-ISLET (47538) or email islets@coh.org. For more information about Kandeel’s gastrin clinical trial, go here.
Read more: New islet cell transplant technique life-changing for diabetes patient
Re: the PreEvnt breath sensor doesn’t detect glucose levels–it detects breath acetone. This has decades of research behind it. However, there’s a significant issue that the scientific literature highlights:
The fundamental problem is that breath acetone correlates more directly with ketone production and lipolysis (fat burning) than with blood glucose per se. Acetone rises when:
Blood glucose is high AND insulin is insufficient (DKA)
During fasting/ketosis
On low-carb/keto diets
During exercise
One study achieved only 68.66% accuracy to classify the diabetes samples into broad categories – far below CGM standards.
The real use case for this is pre-diabetics or Type 2s doing periodic spot-checks, or possibly detecting DKA risk, but that’s a real stretch.