Exubera hmm… not good

This article was sent to me by my fellow blogger, Ben who suggested that this might be an interesting article for readers. Seems so:

Pfizer Inc and said on Wednesday clinical trials of the inhaled insulin Exubera found increased cases of lung cancer, leading Nektar to stop seeking a marketing partner for the troubled product and abandon it.

I had hopes for Exubera. Did you?

 

Glucose Sensing RFID Microchip

Technology keeps moving ahead making life easier for diabetecs. I can’t remember the original source for this snippet but I found it among other bits and pieces in my WordPress draft. I had noticed a while back that a company called Digital Angel announced that the USPTO has granted them a patent for a “syringe-implantable glucose-sensing RFID microchip.”

Checking blood glucose levels regularly is critical to properly managing diabetes. The conventional method – a finger prick – is invasive, painful and often inaccurate. The implantable bio-sensor chip has a passive transponder, glucose sensor and integrated circuitry that allow anyone implanted with the microchip to painlessly scan it to determine their level of glucose concentration. The RFID microchip quickly and accurately transmits the glucose data back to a wireless scanner that displays the glucose level. The RFID microchip is powered by the scanner signal, avoiding the need for a battery in the microchip.

If anyone has more info about this, please feel free to post, thanks.

Home Delivery: 3 Good Reasons

The DiabeticSeniors.com site, a resource for mostly general articles to educate elderly on the basics of Type 2 and some Type 1 stuff, has a bit about the three main reasons one would benefit from home delivery of diabetic supplies. I am undecided about making posts with numbers in the title, but the case for consistency, convenience and proximity of diabetic supplies made here is pretty compelling if you want to have a look and comment.

Medco Snaps up Polymedica

It looks Polymedica of Liberty Medical Supply fame has been acquired by Medco Health Solutions, a giant pharmacy benefit manager co. The press release starts as follows:

Medco Health Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MHS), and PolyMedica Corporation (NASDAQ:PLMD) today announced a definitive agreement under which Medco will acquire PolyMedica in an all-cash transaction valued at $53 per share, or $1.5 billion. The combination of America ’s leading advanced pharmacy practice with the leading source for diabetes services and supplies creates the nation’s premier provider of comprehensive diabetes care and treatment.

I’m sure the health blogosphere will be alive with buzz about this. Any thoughts from my fellow WordPressians?

SugarStats Interview

TechAddress has an interview with SugarStats‘ Marston Alfred. SugarStats is an online application that makes it easy to  manage, monitor and share your blood sugar glucose levels online for better control of diabetes from anywhere.

Glucophone

This is amazing and why didn’t I think of it first? A cell phone for diabetics that measures blood sugar levels and sends results. From GizModo et al…

Good news, diabetics! No, there isn’t a new gadget to magically make all delicious foods sugar free, but there is a new cellphone out that can manage your diabetes easily and conveniently. This phone, from the folks at HealthPia, is essentially a cellphone and glucometer. It will measure blood sugar levels, record and send results to yourself and others and even manage your meal plans.