Savvy Updates 11/2/26

WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE

• • • • Senseonics Begins Human Study of Transmitter-Free Eversense CGM
      • Abbott December US Launch for Libre Duo Glucose-Ketone Sensor
      • Mind the Pump: Research on Diabetes Distress in Adolescents
      • Did a Change of Glucagon Derail the Inreda Artificial Pancreas Trial?
      • The Immune System Reboot: Can We Slow Aging?
      • China Trial Encouraging Tissue Stem Cells Results in T1D Trial
      • Shaping the Future of Affordable Gene Therapies
      • What Diabetes Technology Startups Can Learn From Dogs
      • Breakthrough T1D Addresses T1D Fund Governance
      • How Much Do You Know About Sugar? A Halloween Quiz

NEWS FROM T1DTO100

• • • • Dr. Irl Hirsch: Admitted to the Hospital With T1D 
      • International Geriatric Diabetes Society Workshop, 11–13 November
      • Dr. Steve Edelman: On the Other Side

FROM OUR READERS

• • • • Rick Phillips: Omnipod Cannulas, Site Selection & “Full-Stick Rick”

---

Abbott Sets Libre Duo Glucose-Ketone Sensor US Launch for December, by Conor Hale for MassDevice (https://www.massdevice.com), 21 October 2026

Abbott announced plans to launch its Libre Duo dual-analyte sensor in the United States in December 2026. The system continuously monitors both glucose and ketone levels, potentially providing people with diabetes and their healthcare teams with additional information about the development of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). According to the report, Libre Duo received FDA de novo authorization in August 2026, following its European CE marking in May. Abbott expects reimbursement coverage for people with type 1 diabetes to expand during 2027.

Why it matters: Continuous ketone information could be particularly useful when insulin delivery is interrupted or glucose and ketone patterns suggest a developing metabolic problem. However, users will need clear guidance on interpreting ketone readings and deciding when to seek medical care.

SAVVY NOTE: This could be a very important advance for T1D safety! Glucose doesn’t always tell the entire story, particularly when insulin delivery fails or illness complicates diabetes management. I’m interested in how ketone alerts will work and how people will be taught to respond appropriately.

READ MORE: Abbot Libre Duo Glucose-Ketone Sensor US Launch, December

---

Mind the Pump: Insulin Delivery Modality, Diabetes Distress, and Psychosocial Implications for Adolescents Living With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, research recruitment announcement by Basma Adams, MSN, RN, PHN, University of San Diego

The study’s purpose: To better understand adolescents’ experiences and whether different insulin delivery methods are associated with differences in emotional well-being and diabetes-management burden.  Participation involves a single one-hour virtual Zoom session, a brief background questionnaire and the 17-item Diabetes Distress Scale.Participation is voluntary, with no direct financial compensation. Basma Adams, a registered nurse, diabetes educator and person living with T1D for more than 25 years, is recruiting participants for her IRB-approved doctoral dissertation study.  Dissertation to be published April/May 2027. Direct URL:  Mind the Pump

Who can participate?

• • • • Young people ages 10–17 who have lived with T1D for at least one year.
      • Participants who have used an insulin pump for at least six months.
      • One parent or guardian accompanying the adolescent.

SAVVY NOTE: We know that diabetes technology can make life easier, but it can also introduce new frustrations and demands. I’m glad to see research asking young people directly about their experiences and emotional well-being. Their voices matter!

FOR INFORMATION OR PARTICIPATION: Basma Adams, PhD Candidate, MSN, RN, PHN: basmaadams@sandiego.edu

Did a Change of Glucagon Derail the Inreda Artificial Pancreas Trial?, by Tim Street for Diabettech (https://www.diabettech.com), 30 October 2026

The Dutch Inreda artificial pancreas is a fully closed-loop, dual-hormone system delivering both insulin and glucagon without requiring meal announcements. Earlier studies reported time in range near 80%. But the randomized DARE trial, involving 243 adults with type 1 diabetes, produced less encouraging results. At 12 months, time in range was:

• • • • • 64.8% with Inreda, compared with 52.4% for injections plus CGM.
        • 66.1% with Inreda, compared with 66.8% for hybrid closed-loop therapy.

The Inreda system improved glucose outcomes compared with injections but did not outperform hybrid closed-loop therapy.

Discontinuation was also a concern: 59 of the 119 participants assigned to Inreda stopped using it during the trial. Severe hypoglycemia and other safety outcomes raised additional questions. A significant complication was the substitution of the glucagon preparation used by the system. The original GlucaGen product became unavailable, and the trial used Glugon instead. Evidence suggests the replacement acted more slowly and less effectively. Inreda’s observational data showed a decline in time in range of approximately 3.5 percentage points after the switch. Tim Street examined whether this change could explain the disappointing DARE results.

His conclusion: The glucagon substitution probably contributed to poorer performance, but it does not fully explain the gap between earlier studies and the randomized trial. Device burden, sensor differences, daytime meal management and participant discontinuation also deserve attention. The next trial will need to demonstrate reliable glucose outcomes, acceptable safety and a meaningful reduction in the daily work of diabetes management.

SAVVY NOTE: This is an excellent example of why we need carefully designed clinical trials, not just impressive early results. A fully closed-loop system that eliminates meal announcements would be wonderful, but it must also be safe, reliable and practical enough for people to keep using. Tim’s detailed analysis raises important questions for researchers and manufacturers.

READ MORE: Did a Change of Glucagon Derail the Inreda Artificial Pancreas Trial?

---

The Immune System Reboot: How to Prime Your Body’s Defences to Slow Ageing, by Andrew Steele for BBC Science Focus (https://www.sciencefocus.com), 27 October 2026

Our immune systems do far more than protect us from infections. They also play important roles in identifying abnormal cells, regulating inflammation and maintaining health as we age.  Andrew Steele examines the relationship between immune function and aging, including the possibility that supporting immune health could influence aspects of the aging process.  The article raises a central question: What approaches can meaningfully preserve immune function as we get older?

An immune system that fights only when needed is great. But an immune system that’s stuck waging a constant war could be doing more harm than good. As chronic inflammation distracts our immune systems, they get less effective at ferreting out the ‘cells gone rogue’ in our bodies. Even worse, senescent cells can secrete a variety of chemicals that increase chronic inflammation, further reducing the effectiveness with which they’re cleared – a vicious circle that accelerates the ageing process.  That means what we really want to do is help our bodies find a ‘Goldilocks’ zone of immune activity: not too much; not too little; but just right, depending on the situation. Frustratingly, all that means is it’s hard to create a silver bullet.

SAVVY NOTE: The relationship between immunity and aging is fascinating, particularly for those of us managing chronic conditions over many decades. I’m always interested in research that focuses on living well as we age, rather than simply extending lifespan.

READ MORE: The Immune System Reboot: How to Prime Your Body’s Defences to Slow Ageing

---

China Trial Shows Gum Tissue Stem Cells Help 55% of Lifetime Diabetes Patients, by Shi Huang for South China Morning Post (https://www.scmp.com), 27 October 2026

A randomized Phase 1 clinical trial conducted by researchers in Shanghai and Guangzhou has reported encouraging early results using stem cells extracted from gum tissue to treat type 1 diabetes. The experimental therapy uses gingival mesenchymal stem cells (GMSCs). According to the researchers, more than half of the treated participants showed varying degrees of improvement, and one participant was able to discontinue externally administered insulin. The findings were published on 30 September 2026 in Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy.

The important conclusion: This is an early-stage trial with promising preliminary findings, not evidence of an established cure. Larger studies and longer follow-up are needed to determine the treatment’s safety, durability and effectiveness.

SAVVY NOTE: More stem cell research! I’m encouraged by the variety of approaches scientists are investigating. But one person becoming insulin-independent is not the same as demonstrating a lasting cure. I’ll be especially interested in longer-term outcomes, safety and whether any ongoing treatment is required.

READ MORE: Gum Tissue Stem Cells Help 55% of Lifetime Diabetes Patients

---

Shaping the Future of Metabolic Health, by Robert Gabbay, MD, PhD, on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com), 28 October 2026

Dr. Robert Gabbay highlights an innovative approach to developing affordable gene therapies for rare genetic diseases in Amish and Mennonite communities. Because these communities often fund healthcare outside traditional insurance systems, gene therapies costing millions of dollars are financially inaccessible. Researchers are exploring ways to redesign manufacturing, delivery and development so that potentially life-changing treatments can be offered at substantially lower cost.

Dr. Gabbay identifies several broader lessons: financial constraints can drive innovation, healthcare solutions must reflect community realities, and more affordable biopharmaceutical development could benefit patients far beyond the communities where the work began.

The larger implication: Making advanced therapies affordable is not simply a financing challenge. It may require fundamentally different approaches to how treatments are developed and delivered.

SAVVY NOTE: This is such an important perspective. Scientific breakthroughs are wonderful, but what good are they if the people who need them cannot afford them? As we look toward cell therapies and possible cures for T1D, access and affordability must be part of the conversation from the beginning.

READ MORE: Shaping the Future of Metabolic Health

---

My Dogs Don’t Measure Glucose. Maybe Startups Should Learn From Them, by Derek Brandt for Diabetes Tech News, Diabetes Center Berne (https://www.linkedin.com), 29 October 2026

Derek Brandt, who has lived with type 1 diabetes for more than 35 years, describes how his dogs, Mabel and Moe, seem to recognize when his glucose levels fall too low.  They stay close to him until he begins to recover. Brandt wonders whether they detect changes in smell, behavior or other physiological signals.

Research has demonstrated that the concentration of isoprene, a volatile organic compound in exhaled breath, can increase during experimentally induced hypoglycemia. Other studies have examined the performance of trained diabetes alert dogs. Brandt uses these observations to raise a broader question about diabetes technology: Could developers learn from the ways animals detect changes in a person’s condition, rather than relying exclusively on conventional glucose measurements?

SAVVY NOTE: What a delightful story — and an intriguing scientific question! Our devices measure glucose, but there may be other signals that provide useful information about what is happening in our bodies. I love the idea of researchers looking beyond traditional approaches.

READ MORE: My Dogs Don’t Measure Glucose. Maybe Startups Should Learn From Them

Setting the Record Straight on T1D Fund Governance — and Moving the Mission Forward, an open letter from the Breakthrough T1D International Board of Directors and T1D Fund Board of Directors, published by Breakthrough T1D (https://www.breakthrought1d.org), 29 October 2026

Breakthrough T1D has published an open letter to its community addressing questions about T1D Fund governance. The letter, signed by the Breakthrough T1D International Board of Directors and the T1D Fund Board of Directors, is intended to clarify the organization’s position and discuss its mission going forward.  Because governance and stewardship of research funding are important to the diabetes community, readers may wish to review the complete letter.

SAVVY NOTE: Transparency, accountability and trust are essential in organizations supported by the T1D community. I encourage readers to examine the original statement and consider what it means for research funding and the mission we all care so deeply about.

READ MORE: Statement Regarding T1D Fund Governance 

---

How Much Do You Know About Sugar?, by Carline Hopkins Legaspi for The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com), 29 October 2026

Most Americans consume more added sugar than health experts recommend. But how much do we really understand about sugar? Are naturally occurring sugars the same as added sugars? And what exactly qualifies as sugar? For Halloween, The New York Times created an interactive quiz testing readers’ knowledge of sugar, nutrition and common misconceptions.

SAVVY NOTE: A little Halloween fun! After decades of counting carbohydrates and managing glucose, I wonder how many of us will ace this quiz. Give it a try!

TAKE THE QUIZ: How Much Do You Know About Sugar?  (May require subscription from NYTimes.com)

---

NEWS FROM T1DTO100

Admitted to the Hospital With T1D: What You Need to Know, T1Dto100 Fall Webinar Series, presented by Dr. Irl Hirsch, MD, endocrinologist and person living with T1D, 28 October 2026

Our latest T1Dto100 webinar featured Dr. Irl Hirsch in an excellent discussion about what people living with type 1 diabetes need to know when admitted to a hospital. Hospitalization can introduce challenges involving insulin delivery, CGM use, automated insulin delivery systems, medication management and communication with healthcare professionals. Dr. Hirsch shared his clinical expertise and lived experience, helping participants understand the importance of preparing for hospitalization and advocating for safe, individualized diabetes care.

T1DTO100 NOTE: This subject is especially meaningful to me following my own unexpected four-day hospitalization. One of the most difficult aspects of that experience was feeling that I had very little say in my care. The hospitalist was responsible for my medications, yet spent only a few minutes with me and didn’t take time to understand my complicated medical history or concerns.  When I contacted my regular physicians, they explained that the hospitalist was in charge and that I should follow her instructions.  What a helpless feeling!

It reinforced my belief that we must do more to educate hospital teams about the unique needs of people living with long-duration T1D.

Dr. Hirsch mentioned the Society of Hospital Medicine, an organization representing hospitalists and the field of hospital medicine. Perhaps this is an important opportunity for T1Dto100 to collaborate, advocate and help educate the professionals who will actually be responsible for our care during hospitalization.  About the SOCIETY OF HOSPITAL MEDICINE: https://www.hospitalmedicine.org/

VIEW DR. HIRSCH’S SLIDES: Slide Deck: Admitted to the Hospital with T1D

---

7th Annual Workshop of the International Geriatric Diabetes Society, 11–13 November 2026, Boston, Massachusetts — International Geriatric Diabetes Society (https://www.geriatricdiabetes.org)

REGISTER for this outstanding workshop, all about aging and diabetes!  CLICK HERE to REGISTER

The International Geriatric Diabetes Society (IGDS) will hold its seventh annual workshop in Boston, with both in-person and virtual registration available. The workshop brings together clinicians, researchers, people living with diabetes and care partners to address the increasingly complex needs of older adults with diabetes. Topics include therapeutic advances, cognitive and functional considerations, patient-centered care and approaches to improving diabetes management in older populations.

IGDS is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of older adults living with diabetes through research, education and advocacy.

T1DTO100 NOTE: This is an important meeting for our aging diabetes community. We need more research, better clinical guidance and a stronger patient voice in conversations about aging with T1D. I’m delighted to see this field receiving growing attention.

REGISTRATION AND AGENDA: https://www.geriatricdiabetes.org/meetings/

On the Other Side, by Dr. Steven Edelman for Taking Control Of Your Diabetes (https://tcoyd.org), 21 October 2026

Dr. Steve Edelman shares a deeply personal account of his recovery following an eight-hour quintuple coronary artery bypass operation.  Two weeks after entering surgery, he reported that the procedure had been successful and that he was recovering at home.  He described the extraordinary support he received from friends, family and the healthcare professionals who cared for him.

During his hospitalization, the ICU team managed his glucose for the first 48 hours before he resumed using his automated insulin delivery system.  An unexpected benefit of the experience was the opportunity to speak with hospital staff about diabetes care. After learning he was an endocrinologist, staff members began asking questions about their own diabetes and that of family members.  Those conversations revealed gaps in diabetes education and difficulties finding clinicians comfortable managing diabetes. Steve also reflected on how being a patient deepened his appreciation for the demands placed on nurses, physicians and other healthcare professionals.

His recovery continues, with follow-up care and cardiac rehabilitation ahead.

T1DTO100 NOTE: I’m so grateful that Steve is recovering! His experience reminds us how quickly any of us can find ourselves on the other side of healthcare — as patients rather than advocates, educators or clinicians. And even from a hospital bed, Steve was still helping others learn about diabetes. Wishing him continued healing and a full recovery!

READ MORE: From Dr. Steve Edelman, TCOYD

 FROM OUR READERS

Rick Phillips writes on Patch Pumps, Cannula Placement and a Few New Nicknames:  

Joanne, I hope you’re feeling better by now. The links you shared worked, or I was able to find the information another way, so no worries there.  

I did want to say something about site selection for patch pumps. Recently, I placed my Omnipod on what turned out to be a cliff on my leg. Only about a tenth of the cannula made it into my skin, which explained why things had been going so badly. When I peeled the pod off 24 hours later, I was shocked I’d gotten any insulin at all.  For the next several hours, I went by “One-Tenth Stick Rick.” It was a niche nickname, but I’d earned it.  Then, about 20 days later, I removed a perfectly functioning Omnipod and discovered that the cannula had bent during insertion. It had been working fine despite being only halfway in.

Naturally, I became “Half-Stick Rick.”  Personally, I prefer Full-Stick Rick. I was even thinking about getting business cards:  Meet Full-Stick Rick.  On second thought, maybe not. I’d rather not have to explain that one at a networking event.

Joanne’s response:  Thanks so much, RIck!  I’m on the slow mend and I too prefer Full-Stick Rick!