JDRF is funding work to build a better insulin infusion set; the current infusion sets can be uncomfortable and unreliable, and need to be changed every two to three days. One partner is Pacific Diabetes Technologies, who will test its all-in-one continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) sensor and infusion set in people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in a clinical trial at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, under David O’Neal, M.D. The device, it is hoped, will eliminate the need for pump users to stick themselves twice—once to insert their CGM sensors, and again to insert their infusion catheters—improving the performance of both functions and making insulin dosing more accurate and comfortable. By making CGM a feature on an infusion set, it will also cut the number of devices worn on the body from two to one. Future versions will also offer an option to work with needleless Smart Pens for those who prefer multiple daily injections (MDI).

“A single insertion infusion line combined with a glucose sensor that has the potential to last longer than current insulin delivery platforms will reduce the burden for people with diabetes who choose to wear pumps,” says David O’Neal, M.D. “We are looking forward to implementing the research project and learning from the results.”

This is part of our Industry Discovery and Development Partnerships (IDDP), which enables JDRF to tap into the intellectual and financial resources of private entities working in the T1D space to help move therapies to market more quickly. At the front end, early JDRF investments in promising therapies can make them less risky for industry partners to pursue. In later stages, the partners’ expertise in pushing products through the development pipeline and the regulatory approval process speeds their delivery to the T1D community. The therapies and devices at the heart of these partnerships are a direct result of nearly 50 years of investment and agenda-setting on the part of JDRF, the world’s leading charitable funder of T1D research.

Partnerships like these allow JDRF to leverage its resources, tapping into the expertise and assets of industry stakeholders to fuel innovation and develop better therapies to help people with T1D stay healthy while we work toward cures. Read more about how were turning type 1 into type none here.