It's In the News, a look at the top headlines and stories in the diabetes community. This week's top stories: Stem Cell Islet Therapy Partnership, "Lyla's Law" Type 1 Testing Debate, Patient-Led Insulin Dosing for Gestational Diabetes, $3 Semaglutide Manufacturing, FDA GLP-1 Compounding Crackdown 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! Omnipod - Simplify Life All about Dexcom All about VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures The best way to keep up with Stacey and the show is by signing up for our weekly newsletter: Sign up for our newsletter here Here's where to find us: Facebook (Group) Facebook (Page) Instagram Check out Stacey's books! Learn more about everything at our home page www.diabetes-connections.com transcript with links: Welcome! I'm your host Stacey Simms and this is an In The News episode.. where we bringing you the top diabetes stories and headlines happening now. A reminder that you can find the sources and links and a transcript and more info for every story mentioned here in the show notes. I am definitely feeling better – that lingering cold is gone – but whew still recovering from non stop travel for the past five weeks. I have a great strech of time her at home, then going to Vegas for Brekathorugh T1D at the end of the month and we have two club 1921 events in April – Atlanta and Philly. Before we jump into the news – I need your community commercials! These have been a lot of fun, I announced them late last year – your voice on the show. All the instructions it's very easy in the show notes. Okay.. our top story this week: XX A biotech company developing stem-cell treatments for type 1 diabetes has announced a new research partnership aimed at improving the survival of transplanted insulin-producing cells. NewcelX, a clinical-stage company based in Switzerland, said it will work with Eledon Pharmaceuticals to study a combination approach. The goal is to help transplanted cells survive longer in the body by reducing the immune response that often leads to transplant rejection. If successful, the strategy could support longer-lasting islet cell replacement and move the therapy closer to becoming a functional treatment for people with type 1 diabetes. However, the companies have not yet released any safety or effectiveness data on the combination treatment, and financial details of the partnership were not disclosed. The research agreement is focused on exploring whether combining stem-cell-derived islets with targeted immune therapy can lead to longer-lasting cell transplants and improved outcomes for people with type 1 diabetes. https://www.stocktitan.net/news/ELDN/newcel-x-announces-strategic-collaboration-with-eledon-d10l1vqdofls.html XX Debate this week in the UK on whether testing for type 1 diabetes should become mandatory when children present with symptoms. The Westminster Hall debate, scheduled for 9 March, will consider calls for routine testing of babies, toddlers and young children who show signs associated with the condition. It follows a petition backing the move, dubbed 'Lyla's Law', which passed 121,000 signatures in December 2025. The campaign was launched by John Story after his two-year-old daughter, Lyla, died from diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) on 3 May 2025, 16 hours after being diagnosed with tonsillitis. https://www.nursinginpractice.com/clinical/diabetes-and-endocrinology/diabetes-community-urged-to-call-on-mps-to-attend-lylas-law-debate/ XX A new study suggests that people with gestational diabetes who adjust their own insulin doses may reach healthy blood sugar levels faster than those whose doses are adjusted by clinicians. Half of the participants were assigned to adjust their own insulin doses using a simple rule: increase the dose by two units if fasting blood glucose was above 95 mg/dL, decrease it by two units if it dropped below 70 mg/dL, and keep the same dose if levels fell in between. The other half had their insulin adjusted by clinicians through weekly reviews. By the end of pregnancy, both groups had similar average fasting glucose levels before delivery: about 89 mg/dL in the patient-led group and 90 mg/dL in the clinician-led group. However, those adjusting their own insulin reached their blood sugar targets more quickly, averaging 1.8 weeks compared with 2.5 weeks for those managed by clinicians. The study also found lower risks of certain complications among the patient-led group. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/self-insulin-dosing-leads-control-gestational-diabetes-2026a1000729 XX A blockbuster anti-obesity and diabetes drug could cost as little as $3 per month to manufacture once it goes off patent later this month, researchers said Friday, providing a major opportunity to boost health in low and middle-income countries. Semaglutide, the active molecule in Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy will lose patent protection in countries such as Brazil, China, and India later this month, and researchers identified 150 countries where it was never patented. These researchers estimated it will cost as little as $3 to produce a month's supply of semaglutide, which in its branded form sells for around $200 a month in the United States. Another of the study's authors, Professor Francois Venter at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, said drugs to treat HIV, TB, malaria, and hepatitis are now available at prices close to production costs but still sufficient for generic manufacturers to operate. https://www.sciencealert.com/weight-loss-drugs-could-cost-just-3-a-month-to-make-as-patents-end XX Here in the US the FDA is stepping up its efforts to combat widespread GLP-1 drug compounding. In its latest offensive, the agency has unleashed a fresh set of 30 warning letters targeting telehealth companies it says make "false or misleading" claims about compounded versions of popular obesity drugs. The FDA says Compounded drugs can be important for overcoming shortages or meeting unique patient needs—but compounders should not try to compound drugs in a way that circumvents FDA's approval process." https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/fda-ramps-crackdown-glp-1-drug-compounders-fresh-batch-30-warning-letters XX Check your infusion sets for an issue: Unomedical, a subsidiary of Convatec and a supplier of insulin infusion sets to diabetes tech firms, has received a warning letter from the FDA. Inspectors raised concerns with leaking infusion sets, following a regulatory assessment of Unomedical's facility in Reynosa, Mexico, last summer. Unomedical supplies infusion sets to insulin pump makers including Medtronic, Tandem Diabetes Care and Beta Bionics. In a Feb. 3 statement, Convatec said the letter focuses on reporting procedures and quality protocols and does not place restrictions on producing, marketing or distributing any of Unomedical's products. Unomedical told the FDA in its responses that it plans to conduct a retrospective review of complaints involving serious injury or death by January and conduct additional training on complaint handling by May. https://www.medtechdive.com/news/fda-warns-insulin-infusion-set-maker-unomedical-over-leaks-mishandled-comp/813503/ XX Nearly four in ten people with type 2 diabetes do not take their medications as prescribed, according to a new research review published in Diabetologia in November 2025. Researchers examined existing studies on medication adherence, including how often patients miss doses, why it happens, and what strategies may help. They estimated that about 38% of patients with type 2 diabetes are not fully adherent to their medications. Adherence rates vary depending on the type of medication. About 63% to 68% of patients take oral glucose-lowering drugs as directed, while adherence drops to 43% to 54% for injectable GLP-1 medications and 41% to 64% for insulin. Poor adherence can lead to serious consequences. One retrospective study cited in the review found that patients who consistently took their glucose-lowering medications had a 31% lower risk of hospitalization or emergency department visits. The review also highlighted ways to improve adherence. Simplifying medication routines can help, such as using fixed-dose combination pills, which combine multiple drugs into a single tablet. Studies show these combinations are linked to better adherence and improved blood sugar control. Pharmacists can also play an important role by providing education, reviewing medications, setting up reminders, and helping patients organize their treatment plans. The researchers noted that support should be tailored to each patient. Older adults may benefit from simpler systems and caregiver support, while younger patients may respond better to digital tools like app-based reminders. The authors also found that measuring adherence is challenging and recommend using multiple methods, such as pharmacy records, patient interviews, and objective tests when possible. Overall, the review concludes that personalized, multi-step approaches lasting at least three months are most effective in helping people with type 2 diabetes stay on track with their medications. https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/type-2-diabetes-medication-adherence-rates-remain-low-and-pharmacists-can-help XX New clinical trial shows metformin does not directly reverse insulin resistance in people with type 1 diabetes. Instead, it lowers the total amount of insulin required to keep blood glucose levels within the recommended range. The findings, published in Nature Communications, challenge long-held assumptions about how metformin works in type 1
