Our Commitment, Our Promise
We know people with T1D never get a break—it is something we shoulder every minute of every day. Because we understand, we fight every day to advance research and technology that can make every day safer, healthier, and more productive. To continue driving impactful change, the Improving Lives Program is developing drugs, devices, behavioral health interventions, and their combinations, to improve outcomes and quality of life for people with T1D.
In the past decade JDRF has invested more than $245 million in Improving Lives.
Drugs and Devices for Glucose Control
We know that technologies accelerated by JDRF supporters are saving lives, every day. By monitoring glucose levels, providing accurate dosing, sending high and low alerts even in the middle of the night—these innovations are enabling so many to do what they want and to be who they want to be.Despite the incredible innovation and the fact that people with T1D are doing better, we must continue to accelerate the development of drugs and devices that enable people with T1D to live longer, healthier lives. This includes:
- Novel insulins, e.g., glucose-responsive, ultra-rapid, and liver-targeted;
- Adjunctive therapies in addition to insulin that make it easier to live with T1D, e.g., SGLT inhibitors, insulin and pramlintide co-formulations, and others; and
- Smaller, easier to wear insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors with improved algorithms that shoulder more of the burden of T1D.
Improving Quality of Life: Complications and Behavioral Health
For many, T1D leaves a physical and emotional toll. Long-term complications are a reality for many, and mental health issues disproportionately affect people with T1D. JDRF is focused on both long-term complications and psychosocial and behavioral health with the goal of arresting complications earlier in their development and establishing behavioral health interventions that help people with T1D do better.
Learn more about our work in this area.