An Artificial Pancreas Will Revolutionize Diabetes Care

Main Category: Diabetes
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 05 May 2006 - 0:00 PST

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The development of continuous glucose monitoring and an artificial pancreas could be the next major scientific advance in diabetes treatment and, eventually, a cure. Join representatives from the JDRF, leading academic researchers and people with type 1 -- or juvenile -- diabetes, to learn about this rapidly expanding field of medical technology. Hear about regulatory and insurance reimbursement milestones, patient reactions to artificial pancreas technology, and the impact a closed-loop artificial pancreas is expected to have on the lives of people with diabetes and the healthcare industry.

When:
Friday, May 12, 2006 - 11:45 AM until 1:00 PM. Lunch to be served

Where:
The JW Marriott Hotel, Independence Hall, 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC

Who:

Mary Tyler Moore, International Chairman, JDRF

William V. Tamborlane MD, Professor & Chief, Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine

Stuart Weinzimer, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine

Aaron Kowalski, PhD, Director of Strategic Research Projects, JDRF

Cynthia Rice, Director of New Technology Access, JDRF

Background

The Global Diabetes Research Forum is part of the JDRF's "Unite to Cure Diabetes Program," a two-year national campaign to raise awareness of the importance of diabetes research, highlight JDRF's global leadership, and raise funds for the fight to find a cure for diabetes and its complications.

A closed-loop artificial pancreas will be a mechanical system that integrates real-time glucose sensors, a computer controller, and an insulin delivery system. This system will enable a person with diabetes to maintain normal glucose levels by providing precise doses of insulin as needed throughout the day, just as the pancreas does in people without the disease. The development of an artificial pancreas will help people with type 1 diabetes delay or even prevent long term complications of the disease which can include kidney disease, blindness, amputation and early death.

Development of a closed-loop artificial pancreas is a major priority for the JDRF, which launched a project earlier this year to help expedite the availability of such technology for people with diabetes. The JDRF's aggressive, multi-year campaign includes research on the benefits of continuous glucose monitoring and artificial pancreas technologies for patients with type 1 diabetes, and efforts to speed regulatory approval and health insurance coverage of these treatments and devices.

The JDRF was founded in 1970 by the parents of children with juvenile diabetes -- a disease that strikes children suddenly, makes them insulin dependent for life, and carries the constant threat of devastating complications. Since inception, JDRF has provided more than $900 million to diabetes research worldwide. More than 80 percent of JDRF's expenditures directly support research and education about research. JDRF's mission is constant: to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research.

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
http://www.jdrf.org