BCG vaccine can reverse Type 1 diabetes to almost undetectable levels, eight-year study shows was all over the news this past week, on Telegraph.co.uk/Science, 21 June 2018, as well as KCRA3 News, Boston.
And on the business side of diabetes, more news!
RSP raises $7.7M for its noninvasive laser glucose monitor was reported by Conor Hale on FierceBiotech.com, 11 June 2018.
RSP Systems completed the first closing of a series B financing round, raising €6.5 million ($7.67 million) to fund development of its GlucoBeam noninvasive glucose monitor, including more extensive clinical trials and preparations for regulatory filings.
A noninvasive glucose monitor could lead to better patient compliance: a painless procedure could lead to higher frequency of testing and better glucose management.
The data from GlucoBeam will also be wirelessly integrated with a smartphone or tablet app for storage and analysis, according to the company. RSP also plans to integrate patient data with cloud-based patient monitoring services to loop physicians in and provide better care.
Read more: RSP raises $7.7M for its noninvasive laser glucose monitor
Lilly to Fund Sigilon Therapeutics’ Encapsulated Cell Research to Treat Type 1 Diabetes was reported on ASweetLife.org by Katie Bacon, early June 2018.
April’s announcement that insulin maker Eli Lilly would invest up to $473 million in Sigilon Therapeutics and the cell encapsulation technology the Cambridge, Mass., biotech company is developing was big news in the type 1 diabetes space.
Last year, Sigilon licensed the material from MIT for $23 million, but with the Lilly deal Sigilon will be specifically focused on developing and testing insulin-producing beta cells in the lab, and using the material, now named Afibromer, to protect them from type 1 diabetes’ autoimmune attack. The goal of that product would be to replace the beta cells of someone with type 1—meaning a patient could regulate their own blood sugar, without insulin injections. “Imagine how transformative this could be,” says Vegas. “I keep on coming back to that—this will really change the way people with type 1 diabetes live.”
Read more: Lilly to Fund Sigilon Therapeutics’ Encapsulated Cell Research
Bye bye, Lifescan, Hello Platinum Equity! Johnson & Johnson OKs $2B LifeScan sale to Platinum Equity was reported by Brad Perriello, DrugDeliveryBusiness.com, 12 June 2018.
Johnson & Johnson said today that it accepted a binding offer of more than $2 billion from private equity shop Platinum Equity for its LifeScan blood glucose monitoring business as it moves toward the exit in the diabetes market.
Medtronic rolls out updated iPro2 glucose-monitoring app, expands relationship with Nutrino, as discussed by Joseph Keenan on FierceBiotech.com, 20 June 2018.
Device giant Medtronic rolled out an updated meal-logging app for its iPro2 glucose-monitoring device that can be used by physicians and patients to help keep diabetes in check.
The myLog app uses FoodPrint Report, developed by Nutrino, which allows patients to grade their meals based on their body’s reaction to the food they eat. This, Medtronic said, will let patients better understand the link between the types of food they eat and glucose variability.
Users only need to take a picture of their meals and snacks with their smartphone and, after completing a six-day continuous glucose-monitoring evaluation (CGM), the information is synced with sensor glucose data from the iPro2 and two unique reports are generated: the Pattern Snapshot and the new FoodPrint report. 
