Omnipod announces iPhone control

Omnipod announces iPhone control and interoperability!

There are so many things that we use everyday and couldn’t imagine living without. Air conditioners, a car and indoor plumbing to name a few. These one-time innovations are now technologies that we take for granted as they make our lives better.

“We are thrilled to announce that following remarkable work from our technical and cyber security teams and productive meetings with the FDA we now plan to launch Omnipod Horizon and future generations of Omnipod DASH with personal smartphone control. ”

— Shacey Petrovic, President, Chief Operating Officer at Insulet Corporation

Years from now as an app is automatically keeping your BGs in range, November 2018 will be long forgotten. But for today…. we are watching as diabetes management is about to take a generational leap forward. These quotes from Omnipod’s COO are quite simply the most inspirational words that I’ve read since Arden’s diagnosis fourteen years ago. So hold on just a little longer because one day soon we are all going to celebrate by sleeping through the night. I’m talking about that nodding off at 9PM and not waking up until morning sleep. I mean the kind of sleep where you wake up the next day and can’t be sure how long you’ve been out. You feel me? We are going to SLEEP and then get up feeling rested and go on to live easier and more carefree lives. The technology is so close, we are all so close… this is happening!

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“Omnipod DASH was always designed to be interoperable and we’re thrilled to support this initiative by enabling the simplicity of Omnipod to work with other algorithms and CGMs. As a first step in our support of interoperability we are pleased to share that Insulet is the first pump partner for Tidepool’s Loop program.

Together we are developing an interoperable automated insulin delivery system that allows Omnipod Dash to be controlled by the Tidepool Loop algorithm from an iPhone. This partnership is additive to our internal Omnipod Horizon program and offers a potential faster route to market. An automated insulin deliver system with iPhone control for our Podders and a terrific way for us to support the DIY diabetes community.” - Shacey Petrovic

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We're thrilled to be collaborating with Insulet to incorporate Omnipod DASH into Tidepool Loop. This is only the beginning. We invite people looking to stay in the loop about Tidepool Loop to signup for updates at https://tidepool.org/loop. - Christopher Snider, Tidepool

My recent interview with Tidepool’s Christopher Snider

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Omnipod + Fiasp is cleared in Europe

press release

Omnipod® Insulin Management System Now Available for Use in Europe with Fiasp® Fast-Acting Insulin

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 2, 2018-- Insulet Corporation (NASDAQ: PODD) (Insulet or the Company), the global leader in tubeless insulin pump technology with its Omnipod® Insulin Management System (Omnipod System), today announced that Novo Nordisk’s Fiasp® (Fast-Acting Insulin Aspart) has been tested and found safe for use in Insulet’s Omnipod System in Europe. Fiasp® is a new-generation, ultra fast-acting insulin developed by Novo Nordisk that enters the bloodstream two times faster, compared to NovoRapid®, so it more closely matches a healthy body’s insulin response to a meal, thereby improving glycemic control. Insulet will showcase its Omnipod System during the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) annual meeting at the Messe Berlin Exhibition Halls in Berlin, Germany taking place 1st October to 5thOctober 2018.

This is the first European conference presence for Insulet since the Company assumed direct operations of its Omnipod System product line in Europe. At its booth (#3.P05), the Company will highlight the history of its innovation, from the current Omnipod System to its Omnipod Horizon™ Automated Glucose Control System currently in development. Insulet will also feature the Pod Challenge – an opportunity for attendees to wear a sample Pod to experience the freedom it allows patients.

“Our European team is thrilled for this opportunity to engage with leading regional healthcare practitioners and advocacy groups to showcase the unique benefits of our Omnipod System,” said DJ Cass, General Manager, Insulet Europe. “The addition of Fiasp for use with the Omnipod System provides another option for both patients and prescribers to support their diabetes management needs. EASD is an important venue for direct contact with the diabetes community across Europe so they can see firsthand how our innovative product will help make diabetes a smaller part of their patients’ lives.”

“It is encouraging to see that Fiasp keeps expanding its reach, potentially benefiting more people in need of it via the Insulet Omnipod System,” said Stephen Gough, Global Chief Medical Officer of Novo Nordisk. “With its ultra-fast acting profile, Fiasp has brought a new option for adults living with diabetes who require insulin to manage their post-meal spikes, and I am confident that they will find in Fiasp and the Omnipod System good allies to best manage their diabetes.”

Learn more about Omnipod today

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My Father-Son Relationship interview with the BBC

I was contacted recently by BBC World Services and asked to be part of a report they were doing about the relationships between fathers and sons. I want to thank reporter Nastaran Tavakoli-Far for using some of what I shared in her piece. It was incredibly interesting to listen while not knowing how much, if any, of what I shared would be used. The report is about 25 minutes long and features a number of fathers from all walks of life. Enjoy!

You can subscribe to the show here or listen online here… they cover a mired of topics.

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Molly Fichtner named Head Coach at the University of Louisiana

Congratulations to former Alabama catcher (and former Juicebox Podcast guest) Molly Fichtner on being named the Head Coach of the softball program at the University of Louisiana!

from SunBeltSports.org

“Molly has an incredible passion for the game and is a tremendous leader. I look forward to seeing her impact and elevate the ULM softball program and having her in Louisiana.
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— Jennie Finch, Olympic Gold Medalist

Molly Fichtner, who has seen success at the highest levels of the game, has been named ULM's seventh head softball coach, as announced by interim athletics director Scott McDonald on Friday, Sept. 21. The Houston, Texas, native has spent the last year as an assistant coach at East Carolina University. The appointment is pending approval by the University of Louisiana system's Board of Supervisors.
 
"Molly is highly-respected within the coaching community and her academic achievements garnered as a student-athlete have transferred over into her coaching career, leading her to great heights, and thankfully ULM," ULM Interim Athletics Director Scott McDonald said. "She has an outstanding reputation for player development and proven success in promoting the importance of academics with student-athletes. We are elated to have Molly join us at ULM, and we are thrilled about the impact she's going to have on the softball program and the community."
 
Fichtner makes the transition to ULM from Greenville where she was an assistant coach for the ECU softball program. Before her time with the Pirates, Fichtner spent two seasons in the same role at Dartmouth College.
 
After her honor-filled collegiate career, Fichtner remained at Alabama as a volunteer coach while pursuing her master's degree. After finishing her master's degree in 2015, she played one season in the National Fastpitch (NPF) league with the Dallas Charge.

You can read the rest of the article here.

Watch Molly’s press conference and listen to her appearance on the Juicebox Podcast.

Uploaded by ULM Warhawks Video on 2018-09-24.

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Rule change for T1Ds and operating commercial motor vehicles

Federal motor carrier safety administration (FMCSA), DOT rule change…

FMCSA revises its regulations to permit individuals with a stable insulin regimen and properly controlled insulin-treated diabetes mellitus to be qualified to operate commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce!

from the American Diabetes Association:

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) applauds the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for its new rule permitting individuals with insulin-treated diabetes to be certified to operate commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce. The new rule, published in the Federal Register yesterday, is the culmination of more than two decades of advocacy by the ADA to change the rules that govern commercial drivers with diabetes.

Since the 1990s, when Congress and FMCSA began studying the feasibility of licensing people who use insulin through waiver and exemption programs, ADA has been pushing for a medically-appropriate system to individually assess people with diabetes. Recognizing the discrimination that results when people are deemed unsafe simply because of how they treat their diabetes, ADA insisted on better, more fair rules. ADA celebrates the achievement of that goal today with FMCSA’s final rule.

FMCSA rules apply to most people who operate commercial motor vehicles – trucks, buses, construction vehicles, delivery vehicles, airport shuttles, etc. – in interstate commerce. In addition, many employers adopted the rule for their own use in evaluating workers, even if those workers were not directly subject to the rule itself. As a result, a rule that categorically excludes people who use insulin means people with diabetes are kept out of many jobs they are otherwise qualified to perform. The old rule contained a blanket exclusion against insulin use regardless of how well a person managed his or her diabetes. In 2003, FMCSA began granting exemptions to individuals who could satisfy safety criteria and wait out a long and cumbersome application process. The application process involved a period of many months during which the individual could not drive a commercial vehicle, often resulting in loss of income.

The new rule allows individuals on a stable insulin regimen to operate commercial vehicles without needing to obtain an exemption from the government. It provides for an appropriate assessment of diabetes by the individual’s treating clinician, followed by examination and certification from a certified medical examiner. “This rule eliminates a longstanding barrier that prevented people with diabetes from fully realizing their potential in the workforce,” said Katie Hathaway, JD, Vice President of Legal Advocacy for the American Diabetes Association. “I’m proud of ADA’s commitment to this issue and to leading the fight for what’s right for people with diabetes. We are so pleased to celebrate this victory alongside those affected by the outdated rule.”

Read the rest of the ADA’s statement here

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