Making the case for a better at home A1C test. Orange Biomed is developing a compact, one-drop, at-home A1C testing device they say could make frequent A1C checks easier and more accessible than ever. They're passionate about closing the gap for people who struggle to get to clinics regularly… and the research they share is compelling: four A1C tests a year can lead to a nearly 4% reduction in A1C levels. We'll talk about why more frequent A1C monitoring matters—even in the era of continuous glucose monitoring—how their new device works, and what early clinical trial results look like. This podcast is not intended as medical advice. If you have those kinds of questions, please contact your health care provider. More about Orange BioMed here Announcing Community Commericals! Learn how to get your message on the show here. Learn more about studies and research at Thrivable here Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible! 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We'll talk about why this matters, even in the era of CGM, how the device works and what the early clinical trial results look like. This podcast is not intended as medical advice. If you have those kinds of questions, please contact your healthcare provider. Welcome to a bonus episode of diabetes connections. I hope your December is going well and that you know somehow you're able to take some time for yourself in the middle of all the holiday rushing around this time of year can be magical and stressful and exhausting and wonderful, and you know, all the things. And it's the same thing over here, super busy getting all this stuff done before the end of the year. Love it. But, you know, getting podcast episodes out, writing all the things we write and planning for next year, as they say, We're staying booked and busy. But quick behind the scenes here to better explain this episode, I taped this interview way back over the summer during the ADA Scientific Sessions conference. I had some technical problems. I actually thought I lost this interview. There were two interviews that seemed to have gone missing. We're going to air the other one very soon. But thankfully, I do have backups upon backups. So all the info that you're going to hear today is still relevant. This product, a small A1C test, is still in development. The only dated bit is about their follow up event that took place in August. Orange Biomed was launched in 2021 in South Korea, with its US headquarters in Providence, Rhode Island. Its founders are two Duke University alums, and they're my guests, CEO Yeaseul Park and Co-President Unghyeon Ko, We are also joined by Janice Dru-Bennett. She is a senior advisor at the company. Now, English is not the first language of two of these three speakers. This is a good time to remind you that most podcasting platforms have pretty good transcription services these days, especially Apple, I think they have a fantastic real time transcription service for podcasts that has been impressive to me in how they translate diabetes language. They're getting better at it. But I am also going to put a transcript of the interview in the show notes, which I don't normally do because the podcast services have gotten so good at it, but I think it could be helpful for at least a few of you out there. Okay, here is my conversation from the floor of ADA from the team at Orange biomed. Yeaseul Park, Janice Drew Bennett and Dr Ko, Welcome to diabetes connections. I can't say live from ADA, because we're taping this to air later, but you're all there. Thank you so much for joining Yeaseul Park 03:08 me. Yes, thank you. We're 03:10 excited to be here. Oh Stacey Simms 03:11 my goodness. Can I ask first, how is the trip? I mean, yes, let me ask you. You guys came a long way. Yeaseul Park 03:17 Yeah, it was 13 hours from Korea. But it's I'm so excited, because this event is really one of the times, and this is actually our third time attending ADA. Stacey Simms 03:31 That's great. And we have so many questions for you, but Janice, let me ask you, you're there as everybody's setting up at the kind of beginnings of the show. What is it like right now for people who aren't familiar with ADA, Janice Dru-Bennett 03:42 yes, you can hear the hammers in the background, although, but not on this podcast, but there's a lot of noise and people walking by. We're just setting up this the day before the exhibit hall opens and Dr Cole will be presenting at the Innovation Hub tomorrow, which is where we're sitting right now, with tables of innovators will be showcasing their diabetes innovations, and Stacey Simms 04:04 there's a lot to get to. Dr Koh, I know you're presenting, but yes, let me ask you, like, what why? I know you said it's your third year, but why is orange biomed at ADA, what is your goal Yeaseul Park 04:16 for us? ADA, is for a learning experience. As well as a platform to share. We come to see how all those around the world are fighting against diabetes, whether through clinical research, digital tools or technologies or community programs. At the same time, you're so proud to hear what orange biomat is building anytime, and eight months exhausting. That makes diabetes monitoring not accessible, not so many. And this year is especially exciting because Dr ko our co founder of orange buying at the group of speaking at ADA brand new program the innovation Hall. Stacey Simms 04:58 That's awesome. So Dr Koh, tell me. Little bit about this, the Innovation Hub is pretty cool, but what are you going to be talking about? Unghyeon Ko 05:05 Yeah, actually, I'm talking about the engineering part. I mean our technology, so our orange biomed, we are trying to solve a simple but a serious problem about the A1C accessibility. So to increase the A1C accessibility. So we are, we are developing at home device to measure the A1C level. So I'm, I'm talking about how difficult to increase the accessibility of A1C, but our technology is handled that difficult problem. So we now he's so agreed. So I'm going to introduce our technology and emphasize the importance of the A1C measurement at home. Stacey Simms 05:49 Yeah, so A1C, it's interesting. My son was diagnosed at two, and in the pediatric world, you know, they'll just prick a finger generally and have that A1C right away. But my husband lives with type two, and he gets his labs drawn. And then it takes forever. So tell me a little bit before we go further about what you're hoping to do and making this easier for the patient, Speaker 1 06:10 the frequent monitoring of A1C is so important to prevent the diabetic complications. So the money, so if you there is some so I can say that there is a research that if you measure the A 1d the four times a year, the People's A1C level is decreased like 3.8% but if you measure the A 1d at one per year, Then the A1C level is increased 1.5% so the frequent A1C monitoring is so important to prevent the diabetes complications. But problem is A1C measurement is only available at clinical site at this moment, so most of the A1C monitoring is done by the clinical side. So that's why people are difficult to monitoring A1C, because they have to visit the clinics forever. So is so like four times, or even eight times visit the clinics or hospital is quite difficult, especially in the people living in the far area from the hospital. So that's why the home A1C test is required. So I think that's why the accessibility of the A1C is one of the important things in managing the diabetes complications. Stacey Simms 07:39 Dr Koh, is there evidence that, I mean more frequent A1C testing, I think would give many people peace of mind, perhaps. But is there evidence that it really does help in your health? Speaker 1 07:51 Oh, yes, it is actually like from there is the research, like the famous research about the A1C level, like the research name this t and this research proved that the A1C is the one of the strongest predictor of diabetes complication. So A1C is completely related with the risk of diabetes complication. So like keeping A1C on the 7% dramatically lower the risk of diabetes complications. And also, there is another research in UK, the UK PDS study, and that study said they are A1C. Lowering A1C by just 1% can reduce overall mortality by 15% and microvascular complication by 37% so the roaring A1C is the goal of the treatment of the Yeaseul Park 08:47 diabetes. So Stacey Simms 08:48 when I think of at home diabetes tests, blood tests, seem like they're they're really sensitive, right? You have to be very careful with things like that, although we do, we did finger sticks at home for years and years. Are there challenges with at home A1C testing that that people like me could mess up, Yeaseul Park 09:06 sure actually when
