World Diabetes Day — today, Nov. 14 — brings out the best in the diabetes community that continues to innovate year after year.
This date serves as a time to recognize these innovations as it marks the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting. Banting discovered the insulin hormone along with Charles Herbert Best in 1922. The date also falls within the American Diabetes Association’s National Diabetes Awareness Month, which calls further attention to these life-saving technologies and advancements.
In recognition of this, medtech companies in the diabetes space often undertake efforts each year to celebrate and draw attention to both the month of November and the day, Nov. 14, in recognition of the diabetes community. Many of those companies also featured on our list of the biggest diabetes tech stories of the year so far, published today on World Diabetes Day.
We compiled lists in 2021, 2022 and 2023, highlighting some of the action taken by these companies. On World Diabetes Day in 2024, here is what medtech’s diabetes community is doing:
Medtronic continues Blue Balloon Challenge
On Nov. 1, Medtronic announced that it was kicking off another year of its Blue Balloon Challenge in recognition of National Diabetes Awareness Month.
Introduced in 2021, the movement encourages people with diabetes to help drive awareness and understanding of the chronic condition. The company instructs people to take a video or photo while bouncing a blue balloon in the air with the hashtag #BlueBalloonChallenge. Each hashtag leads to a donation from Medtronic.
This year’s initiative focuses on raising awareness around type 1 diabetes. The medtech giant plans to donate to Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) to support the organization’s work to achieve affordable access to current therapies, drive the adoption of innovative technologies and fund research for future type 1 diabetes breakthroughs.
“This challenge is a powerful symbol of the constant balancing act that people living with T1D go through every day,” Que Dallara, EVP and president of Medtronic Diabetes, wrote on LinkedIn.
Insulet rolls out new initiatives
Acton, Massachusetts-based Insulet — developer of the Omnipod automated insulin delivery pumps — shared a number of initiatives aimed at recognizing both World Diabetes Day and National Diabetes Awareness Month when November kicked off.
First, on Nov. 12, Jim Hollingshead, Insulet president and CEO, and members of Insulet’s leadership team, along with global employees, rang the Nasdaq market closing bell. On behalf of five Omnipod users who joined them, the company also plans to make charitable contributions to diabetes organizations of their choice. This comes as part of the “Insulet for Good” initiative.
Insulet serves as a sponsor for a two-day American Diabetes Association community event on Nov. 22 and Nov. 23 in Boston. The company also plans to exhibit at the ADA Community Day of Access, which includes free healthcare screenings and more.
Other plans for November include the launch of a new sponsored podcast, “TypeCast: Life Between the Lines.” Insulet also plans for employees to write notes of support and encouragement to recently diagnosed people. Finally, on World Diabetes Day, the company plans to host fun, informative and interactive activities globally.
Embecta rings Nasdaq closing bell
A few days before Insulet, Embecta marked National Diabetes Awareness Month and World Diabetes Day by ringing the Nasdaq closing bell.
The BD Diabetes spinoff was joined by a number of advocacy and professional groups. Those included the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists (ADCES), Beyond Type 1, Beyond Type 2, Camp Nejeda, Children with Diabetes, Diabetes Education and Camping Association (DECA), the Diabetes Foundation, Taking Control of Your Diabetes (TCOYD), The Diabetes Link, and The diaTribe Foundation.
“It’s an honor to ring the Nasdaq Closing Bell today as we commemorate National Diabetes Awareness Month and World Diabetes Day on Nov. 14, alongside partners who share our commitment to improving the lives of those living with diabetes,” said Devdatt “Dev” Kurdikar, CEO of Embecta. “Together, we recognize that people with diabetes face daily challenges that impact their physical and mental well-being. Yet diabetes is just one aspect of their lives — they are people with families, with hobbies, with hopes and dreams. For Diabetes Awareness Month and beyond, let’s focus on holistic well-being and making sure that diabetes doesn’t limit anyone from being the person they most want to be.”
Abbott pays tribute to World Diabetes Day
Chris Scoggins, the SVP of global commercial operations for Abbott’s diabetes care business, shared the following statement to recognize World Diabetes Day:
“After more than 35 years of supporting people living with diabetes, we understand the importance of addressing a person’s physical and mental health. World Diabetes Day is a global opportunity to raise awareness and show our support for breaking barriers and bridging gaps, ensuring that all people living with diabetes can get the latest technology to lead healthier lives. Continuous glucose monitors like our FreeStyle Libre systems support the overall well-being of people living with diabetes, empowering them to make progress toward their health goals on their own terms. Small steps make a big difference – physically and mentally.”
Dexcom enlists star power, shares survey highlighting importance of diabetes awareness
CGM and glucose biosensor maker Dexcom announced survey data outlining the importance of raising awareness of diabetes.
The company surveyed 2,250 individuals all over the world over 18 with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Nearly 70% of people with diabetes say they didn’t know where to begin their health journey when first diagnosed. Nearly half say diabetes has limited their ability to pursue a passion or interest.
With that data in mind, and in recognition of World Diabetes Day and National Diabetes Awareness Month, Dexcom plans to team up with its global brand advocates. That includes singers Nick Jonas, Molly Sandén and Lance Bass, actress Retta, comedian Ed Gamble and more. The company wants to invite people with diabetes to share something they’re striving toward on social media.
During the month of November, the company invites people with diabetes to share their aspirations. Examples given by Dexcom included running, committing to learn a new language or signing up for a cooking class. The company plans to randomly select participants to win a $500 prize to jumpstart their journey.
Ascensia Diabetes Care creates “wellness zone”
To mark World Diabetes Day, Switzerland-based Ascensia, the global commercial partner for Senseonics and its Eversense long-term implantable CGM platform, unveiled its “This is Diabetes, This is Well-Being” campaign. This year’s campaign invites people from across the world to visit www.thisisdiabetes.com, a virtual wellness zone. There, an expert panel of doctors, dietitians and diabetes experts respond to unanswered questions about diabetes.
Ascensia said its initiative shows its understanding of the importance of having a community to turn to with questions. It encourages people with diabetes and their loved ones to share wellness questions so the responses can help the wider diabetes community. People can ask their questions until Nov. 21, and answers will be published at the end of November.
“World Diabetes Day is an important day to us at Ascensia as it serves as a reminder of the importance of our work, to help people with diabetes live happier, healthier lives,” said Ascensia CEO Rob Schumm.
Fresenius Medical Care highlights link between diabetes and kidney disease
For World Diabetes Day, Fresenius Medical Care wants to raise awareness about physical and mental challenges associated with diabetes.
As a maker of products and services for renal disease, the company aims to highlight the need for diabetes care, with diabetes being a leading cause of kidney disease. While patients live their normal lives, the company wants more resilience to remain organized and responsible while managing conditions.
Fresenius Medical Care’s “Living Well” campaign provides strategies and education through videos from experts. Those include dietitians, psychologists and social workers. The company wants to dispel common nutrition and mental health misinformation surrounding the disease.
According to the company, the campaign delivers real-life perspectives on living with diabetes and kidney disease. It also highlights the importance of early detection and understanding the risk of type 2 diabetes. Fresenius Medical Care wants to encourage individuals to consult with their physicians to manage the disease and symptoms of diabetic kidney disease.
Tandem Diabetes Care takes part in community events
Laurel Messer, senior director of medical affairs at Tandem Diabetes Care, issued the following statement to Drug Delivery Business News on World Diabetes Day:
“In honor of World Diabetes Day, we want to celebrate and say thank you to the diabetes community for your unrelenting partnership with companies like Tandem Diabetes Care and for pushing us to keep innovating and improving. At Tandem, our product development process relies heavily on feedback and testing by people with diabetes – and we could not do what we do without the exceptional diabetes community.
“Together, we have come a long way in transferring the burden of diabetes from the person to the technology. Tandem continues to commit to leading this journey, with technology solutions to minimize burden while maximizing outcomes for the majority. From the inside out, we live and breathe diabetes, with personal and professional dedication.
“This month, we are honored to participate in community events that make our work even more impactful – from the NYC Marathon, as a proud sponsor of the Beyond Type Run team, to the Breakthrough T1D walks across the country. These moments of in-person celebration and reflection remind us of the importance of our work now and for the future.”
