Skip to content

Glucose Control

Today’s insulin formulations save lives, but achieving tight control over blood-glucose levels remains a daily challenge for those living with type 1 diabetes (T1D). The JDRF Glucose Control Program is committed to making the management of T1D much better and safer through groundbreaking research and clinical trials that aim to develop new ways to help people keep their blood-sugar levels within a healthy range.

Our Approach

Insulin therapy must be calculated carefully, based on food intake, exercise, stress, illness and other (often unpredictable) factors. As a result, people with T1D spend an average of 10 hours a day with blood-sugar levels outside the recommended range, putting them at risk for dangerous high- and low-blood-sugar episodes.

  • Create next-generation insulins

    that will automatically respond to blood-sugar levels

  • Discover combination therapies

    —using insulin and other drugs—to dramatically improve daily blood-sugar management

  • Prevent dangerous lows

    so that no one needs to worry about the risks of low blood-sugar again

“I participated in a clinical trial for an SGLT-2 inhibitor that is typically used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The biggest benefit was the fact that I never experienced the high blood sugar sluggishness that comes after every time I eat carbs. It showed me that the small advancements really do make a big difference in the way I live with T1D.”

Sarah T.

25 years old, diagnosed at age 20

Sarah T.

Many Paths, One Purpose

Our research into glucose control technologies is just one potential pathway to finding a cure for T1D. Explore JDRF’s ambitious research portfolio.

All Research

Get involved and help lead us toward a cure

Patient speaking with health professional

Volunteer for a Clinical Trial
The U.S. Capitol building

Talk to Your Members of Congress About T1D
Crowd of JDRF One Walk participants

Participate in a JDRF Event Near You

Glucose Control Progress

2016

Beyond insulin

Most people with T1D rely solely on insulin to control their glucose levels, but a growing number of researchers are exploring whether non-insulin drugs could be paired with insulin to better manage T1D.

2018

Hypoglycemia questions Hypo-RESOLVE aims to answer

JDRF joins an international consortium of 23 public and private organizations aiming to better understand hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, and its impact on people with T1D.

2018

JDRF and Gubra join forces

JDRF and Gubra announce a partnership to develop glucose-responsive insulin (GRI), a form of insulin designed to work when blood glucose levels rise above healthy levels and to be inactive when blood glucose levels are in or below the standard range.

2018

ADA’s Scientific Sessions: It’s not just for type 2 anymore

SGLT inhibition had been approved for type 2 diabetes—and not T1D—but that’s about to change. Dapagliflozin (Farxiga®/Forxiga®) and sotagliflozin (Zynquista™) are submitted for approval for T1D, to be used in addition to insulin therapy to improve glucose control.

Looking Ahead

In the last decade, more than $45 million has been invested by JDRF in glucose control research. One day, thanks to improved insulin formulations and other drugs, staying within ideal blood-sugar range is no longer a challenge.

Latest Glucose Control Updates