Savvy Updates 9/2/25 | The Savvy Diabetic

In this week’s issue of The Savvy Diabetic: 

Insulet named two executives to its C-suite
Why Dr. Steve Edelman is pushing for Sotagliflozin
GLP-1 Agonists and A Possible Reduced Risk of Uveitis
GLP-1 Drugs May Cut Risk of Developing Peptic Ulcer Disease (PUD)
Platinum Equity LifeScan Diabetes Testing Business to File for Chapter 11 
If You Take Insulin, Why Do You Need Glucagon?
Finding Health, Humor & Hope with Allyson Hughes, PhD
Constipation Drug “Lubiprostone” Can Treat Chronic Kidney Disease
Stomach’s ‘Second Brain’ More In Sync With Mind During Mental Distress
FDA Clears T1D1: First FREE, OTC, FDA-Cleared Insulin Calculator App
DOJ probing UnitedHealth’s Optum Rx
A Spot of Humor: Today Is … Holidays Celebrated in the US

Insulet named two executives to its C-suite by Elise Reuter for MedTechDive.com, 26 August 2025.

Insulet named two executives to its C-suite on Monday. The company has promoted Eric Benjamin, former Chief Product and Customer Experience Officer, to the role of Chief Operating Officer, effective immediately. The diabetes tech firm also hired Manoj Raghunandanan to the position of Chief Growth Officer, leading Insulet’s new growth organization. The appointments are some of CEO Ashley McEvoy’s first changes since she was hired in April.

The appointments come after McEvoy outlined four priorities for Insulet on an August earnings call: 
enhancing the company’s commercial capabilities
building Insulet’s brand and direct-to-consumer capabilities
driving growth outside of the U.S.
accelerating the pace of innovation

Read more: Insulet named two executives to its C-suite

Why this endo is pushing for a diabetes drug you’ve probably never heard of podcast by Stacey Simms for Diabetes-Connections.com, 26 August 2025.

We have an important update on a diabetes drug you may not have heard about. Sotagliflozin is known to have significant benefits for people with type 2, but getting it approved for type 1 has been frustrating to say the least.  The FDA has twice declined to approve it for people with T1D, but experts – including my guest – are pushing and hoping that will soon change. I’m speaking with Dr. Steve Edelman, an endocrinologist who lives with type 1 diabetes and heads the Take Control of Your Diabetes (TCOYD) group. We’ll discuss the risks associated with sotagliflozin, how continuous ketone monitoring could revolutionize the field, and what you can do to drive change. TCOYD’s petition here.

More News about GLP-1 Agonists Benefits …
Another Win for GLP-1 Agonists? A Possible Reduced Risk of Uveitis by Randy Dotinga for MedPageToday.com, 28 August 2025.

Research has suggested that GLP-1 receptor agonists may have protective effects against certain eye conditions, but they have also been linked to rare ophthalmic complications.  In this retrospective cohort study, use of a GLP-1 drug was tied to a lower risk of uveitis compared with no use.  This was consistent for those with type 2 diabetes and those without diabetes.

“The link between GLP-1 RAs [receptor agonists] and decreased risk of uveitis likely lies in the anti-inflammatory properties of these agents,” Sumit Sharma, MD, of the Cole Eye Institute at the Cleveland Clinic and team wrote. “Beyond their direct anti-inflammatory properties, GLP-1 RAs may further reduce uveitis risk by promoting weight loss. Obesity has been shown to increase the risk of various autoimmune disorders.”

Read more: Another Win for GLP-1 Agonists? A Possible Reduced Risk of Uveitis

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GLP-1 Drugs May Cut Risk of Pesky GI Condition by Joedy McCreary for MedPageToday.com, 29 August 2025.

A study found that patients with type 2 diabetes treated with GLP-1 receptor agonists were less likely to develop peptic ulcer disease (PUD).  As a second-line therapy, GLP-1 drugs also appeared to be more protective than insulin. The findings deepen the understanding of GLP-1 drugs and suggest a gastrointestinal benefit beyond their known metabolic effects.

“All things being equal, if you can put them on the GLP-1, you may — in addition to all of the other known metabolic benefits that they’re going to get from that — you may also be protecting them from getting a peptic ulcer,” said Trisha Pasricha, MD, MPH, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

Read more: GLP-1 Drugs May Cut Risk of Pesky GI Condition

Platinum Equity Plans to Reorganize LifeScan Diabetes Testing Business in Chapter 11 Filing by Scott Strumello for Scott ‘s Web Log, blog.sstrumello.com, 4 August 2025.

Remember how back in 2017, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) decided to exit the diabetes business? J&J began quietly exiting the diabetes business. First, it shut down Animas Corp., its insulin pump division, after failing to find a buyer. Then it sold Calibra Medical Inc., which had been developing a wearable insulin patch aimed at Type 2 diabetes insulin users, to CeQur. Finally, in 2018, J&J agreed to sell LifeScan — the maker of OneTouch meters and test strips — to Platinum Equity for $2.1 billion. The move was part of J&J’s effort to focus on more lucrative pharmaceuticals and medical devices, while divesting itself of more commoditized products such as blood glucose testing supplies and Band-Aids.

At the time, LifeScan was still the dominant player in traditional fingerstick blood glucose monitoring (BGM), with an estimated 45% of industry sales. At the same time, competitors Roche, Abbott, and Bayer (now Ascensia) trailed behind. But the writing was on the wall: traditional BGMs were commoditized, and Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) were gaining traction; hence, fingerstick testing was no longer a growth business.

Fast forward to 2025, and Platinum Equity’s LifeScan business is in trouble. On July 7, 2025, Platinum Equity announced plans to reorganize LifeScan through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.

The irony? PBMs may now get nothing from LifeScan’s unpaid rebates. Some lenders argue that PBMs should be prioritized in bankruptcy because they’re essential to the business — but I am skeptical. PBMs are a financial drain, and Roche’s cash-pay model may be the smarter path forward. For example, Medicare no longer covers test strips for CGM users.

For me, Lifescan was my FIRST portable, 45-second to result blood sugar meter when I started college in 1972.  Before that, I was using a clunky Ames Reflectance Meter that had to be plugged in and weighed at least a pound, and it was not very accurate.  

Read more: Platinum Equity Plans to Reorganize LifeScan Diabetes Testing Business in Chapter 11 Filing

If You Take Insulin, Why Do You Need Glucagon? by Beyon Type 1 Editorial Team for BeyondType1.org, 2 March 2022.

Did you know that there are multiple new and easy-to-use types of glucagon available today? Used to raise blood sugars to safe levels during a severe low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) emergency, glucagon is now available as an auto-injector, nasal spray, or in a pre-filled syringe. Copay cards and Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs) are available to help with the cost.

Read more: 

Beyond Stigma and Shame: Finding Health, Humor, and Hope in the Diabetes Community, with Dr. Allyson Hughes for HealthCommunication, 9 July 2024.

Dr. Allyson Hughes, Assistant Professor of Primary Care at Ohio University, joins co-host Dr. Joe Bianco to recount her journey from her diagnosis of type 1 diabetes at age seven to a career as a diabetes and disabilities researcher, educator, and advocate. The conversation reveals that there is more to diabetes than shame, stigma, and medical trauma.  Ally sheds light on innovative medical advances and finds hope in social and online networks dedicated to improving the lives of persons with diabetes.

“Diabetes has a way of sneaking up on you. Diabetes can make you feel alone – like you are the only person in the world that has it. I know this from personal experience. I can count on one hand how many memories I have before type 1 diabetes became a focal point of my life. I was diagnosed at 7 years old with no family history, and as I often lament, before the Diabetes Online Community began.”

 

Read more:  Diabetes, Insulin & Politics: 28 Years of Stigma, Innovation, and Ableism

A research group led by Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine’s Professor Takaaki Abe has found a remarkable solution to treat patients with CKD by co-opting a drug typically used for constipation. This is the first time that this drug (lubiprostone) has been shown to prevent the decline of renal function in patients with CKD. The results were published in Science Advances.

“We noticed that constipation is a symptom that often accompanies CKD, and decided to investigate this link further,” explains Abe. “Essentially, constipation disrupts the intestinal microbiota, which worsens kidney function. Working backwards, we hypothesized that we could improve kidney function by treating constipation.”

Read more: Clinical trial shows constipation drug can treat patients with chronic kidney disease

Stronger coordination between the brain and the stomach’s natural rhythm is linked to higher levels of anxiety, depression, and stress, according to the most extensive study of its kind from Aarhus University.  While most gut–brain research has focused on the lower intestine and gut bacteria, the team of researchers turned to the stomach—the body’s upper digestive hub with its own network of nerves.  They found that when brain activity is more tightly synchronized with the stomach’s slow electrical waves, people are more likely to report mental distress. The paper is published in the journal Nature Mental Health.

“The stomach’s connection to the brain may actually be too strong in people under psychological strain,” says postdoc Leah Banellis from the Department of Clinical Medicine, lead author of the study.

The stomach has its own nervous system, often referred to as the “second brain.” Its slow waves occur roughly every 20 seconds, even when we’re not eating—a constant background rhythm like the heartbeat. By combining functional MRI scans with electrogastrography, the researchers measured the degree to which brain activity aligned with these waves in each participant.  “Intuitively, we assume stronger body-brain communication is a sign of health. But here, unusually strong stomach–brain coupling seems linked to greater psychological burden—perhaps a system under strain,” says Professor Micah Allen, senior author.

Perhaps they should study the stomach and T1Ds in particular, as individuals with diabetes may experience strain due to the management and burdens of the disease.

Read more: The stomach’s ‘second brain’ is more in sync with the mind during mental distress

FDA Clears T1D1: The First FREE, Over-the-Counter FDA-Cleared Insulin Calculator App for Type 1 Diabetes Management by Laura Mendelow for T1d1.org, 27 August 2025.

The FDA has officially cleared T1D1 (Type 1 from Day 1). T1D1 is the first FDA-cleared over-the-counter mobile app that helps individuals with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) calculate insulin doses, track daily data, and share insights with healthcare providers—putting powerful, personalized tools directly in the hands of those who need them most. And, it’s completely free!

Read more: The First FREE, Over-the-Counter FDA-Cleared Insulin Calculator App for T1D Management

DOJ probing UnitedHealth’s Optum Rx, alongside Medicare practices by Chris Strohm & John Tozzi for ModernHealthcare.com, 26 August 2025.

The U.S. Justice Department’s criminal division is investigating UnitedHealth Group Inc.’s prescription management services, as well as its reimbursement practices for its own doctors, as part of an ongoing probe into the firm’s operations.  The previously unreported areas of the probe reveal that scrutiny is broader than previously known and extends beyond an inquiry into possible Medicare fraud. Investigators are examining business practices at the company’s pharmacy benefit manager, Optum Rx, in addition to the physician payments, the people said, who asked not to be identified while discussing a confidential matter.

The Justice Department hasn’t accused UnitedHealth or its executives of wrongdoing, and the existence of a probe doesn’t mean that charges will be filed.

Read more: DOJ probing UnitedHealth’s Optum Rx, alongside Medicare practices

A Spot of Humor: Today Is … by Alyssa Fowers, Andrew Van Dam, Kevin Schaul, and Shelly Tan for WashingtonPost.com, 29 August 2025.

The Department of Data compiled a list of approximately 5,700 non-religious holidays observed in America, encompassing every corner of our calendar and culture.  Find out which holiday shares your birthday and share your favorite:

(This is my birthday!  I’m particularly happy to learn that it is National Cuddle Day!)

 

 

 

Read more: Today is…