The Diabetes Year in Review 2015

With the New Year just around the corner, we're keeping up our tradition of reviewing all the things that have made 2015 a year to remember in the Diabetes World and here at the 'Mine.

We've had some big moments this past year, but if we had to boil it down to one prominent theme, that would have to be: Liberating the Diabetes Data. Seriously, D-Data was the huge topic on so many fronts -- pharma companies partnering up with big data analytics and consumer tech giants like IBM, Google, and Samsung Electronics; a wave of data display tools and tech being launched; and the FDA making history in their decision to ease the process for launching medical data-sharing tools. 2015 has been a Year of Diabetes Data, indeed!

Here's a look at what stood out to us in 2015, month-by-month (and yes, we are keeping this post up for a two-day stretch this week to ensure ya'll have a chance to go through it, despite all the holiday festivities!)

Be sure to let us know what caught your eye in the Diabetes World this past year, and what you're looking forward to most as we head into 2016.

January

We had a big start to the New Year, moving to a new online home. The FDA, Animas and Tandem also had a bang-up start, marking milestones in diabetes devices and data-sharing options.

We joined Healthline, starting a new chapter of the 'Mine after wrapping up a whole decade of writing about diabetes! Being here with an expanded audience helps us do more of what we love -- bringing D-news and straight-talk to the Diabetes Community.

The FDA made history by "down-classifying" secondary display platforms so tools like CGM in the Cloud aren't as challenging to get approved. It was the Dexcom SHARE system that set the stage for the federal agency to make this change.

Animas received the green light in late 2014 to start selling its long-awaited Animas Vibe integrated insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor (CGM), and it officially hit the market in January. Mike test drove this new combo device, but wasn't impressed...

Speaking of new device options, Tandem Diabetes Care got the OK from regulators to start selling its larger cartridge t:flex pump that maintains the touchscreen features of the regular t:slim but holds 480 units of insulin (compared to the 300 units in the original design).

February

This month's events tickled our fancy, from new inhaled insulin to a home experiment on coffee and blood sugars... Oh, and we even rolled out the red carpet with our first-ever Diabetes Oscars!

Welcome, Afrezza! Yep, the inhaled insulinproduct made by MannKind and sold by Sanofi finally hit the market after years of waiting.

You may have tuned in to the Oscars on TV, but maybe didn't know that we launched the first-ever Diabetes Community take on that. See who won our Diabetes Oscars for 2015!

Ever wonder about coffee and diabetes, and what effect java has on blood sugars? Mike explored this oft-asked question in his own "Great Coffee Experiment," and depending on how you take your coffee the results may be surprising.

This was a big year of change for the Diabetes Hands Foundation, as our friend and fearless leader Manny Hernandez (who founded DHF)stepped down from the chief exec post after 7 years. Another great D-advocate Melissa Lee took over on an interim basis, championing a year of website changes and new features for the DHF-run TuDiabetes and Diabetes Advocates programs. Oh, and late in the year we got word that the DHF had tapped Gene Kunde, a longtime exec in non-profits and for-profits, to lead DHF going forward.

March

Ah, the madness of March! Between Bigfoot sightings, pivotal cure and tech research, and "Vegas Dust," this was quite an awesome month for the Diabetes Community.

Bigfoot Lives! Making a huge splash this year is Bigfoot Biomedical, led by former JDRF CEO Jeffrey Brewer and including big names in D-tech: Bryan Mazlish, who finally came out publicly as being the "Bigfoot" behind a homemade closed-loop system created for his T1 wife and son two years ago. We shared an exclusive guest post about that family's story and what led to the exciting work being done at Bigfoot, now based in California.

Dr. Denise Faustman launched the second phase of her research for a diabetes cure vaccine, after years of delay, fundraising, and work behind the scenes. We looked at what delayed this next phase and what ground Dr. Faustman hopes to gain on this research in the coming years.

Important clinical studies began on a pivotal issue for CGM users: are these continuous sensor readings as good as fingersticks to dose insulin? Many of us do use CGM readings for dosing (shhh, don't tell FDA!), but now the scientists are researching this and paving the way for an official "dosing claim" to be approved by FDA.

The first-ever Diabetes UnConference happened in Las Vegas, and Mike was in attendance to experience the now-legendary "Vegas Diabetes Dust" phenom. Great news is that there will be TWO of these patient-connection UnConference events in 2016.

April

Showers of diabetes news brought coverage of the newest insulin on the market, a computer genius now part of a diabetes device partnership, and how to protect your insulin from fluctuating temperatures. Oh, and who do you think might top the charts with the Highest A1C in History? No joke, even for this month...

Medtronic made big news in teaming up with IBM Watson, the super-computer that appeared onJeopardy a while back. Together they plan to develop great new solutions for diabetes care.

New basal insulin Toujeo hit the market from Sanofi, and our own Wil Dubois tackled a trio of questions on that new concentrated insulin in his weekly Ask D'Mine advice column.

What is the Highest A1C in History? Our own WilD explored that by reaching out to some very well-respected endos, as well as PWDs who were willing to share their numbers from past and present.

A new crowdfunding hub for T1D lab science called Diabetes Research Connection was launched, allowing supporters to explore and select the projects they wish to donate money to.

We also debuted the Insulin Angel app, which aims to help you protect your insulin by tracking its temperature, whereabouts and usage, and alert you if the medication is at risk or if you've left it behind.

May

When it rains, it pours... a popular pump company goes under, and not everyone was happy with the outlook on getting next-gen tech when they want it. On the bright side, new diabetes awareness orgs and initiatives spring up.

Goodbye, Asante Snap. The sudden news that this California insulin pump company was closing shocked the D-Community, and the story behind what happened has become a cautionary tale.

Big news for the Students With Diabetes group, as it announced expansion plans and the creation of a new Diabetes Empowerment Foundation that would own SWD and continue the work that former Miss America (of 1999) Dr. Nicole Johnson began five years ago.

Tandem Diabetes Care ruffled features in taking a "No Upgrade" policy with its latest D-tech, but the pump company also unveiled more detail about its Project Odyssey that's aimed at changing how users will receive future upgrades to the t:slim, and maybe even D-tech across the board.

It's too common to hear heartbreaking stories of children dying as a result of undiagnosed diabetes, but North Carolina took action and passed a law called Reegan's Rule to address this issue. Kudos to state leadership there and the Diabetes Community that helped make this happen.

A new group called Beyond Type 1 formed to raise D-awareness and help dispel myths and misconceptions. Leading this effort are two D-Moms, celebrity chef Sam Talbot and now pop singer-actor Nick Jonas (who we talked to in June about the latest Nick Jonas diabetes news).

We also announced our 2015 DiabetesMine Patient Voices winners, the 10 diabetes advocates who shared their #LifeHacks on how to live better with diabetes.

June

Time for the biggest U.S. diabetes conference of the year, new developments in exciting next-gen closed-loop technology, and a new D-peep-led coalition to lobby Congress... quite a month!

The annual American Diabetes Association marked the 75th anniversary of its Scientific Sessions, held in Boston fr 2015. As ever, there was loads of science and new tech talk to report. Medtronic made the biggest news splash, by announcing: the launch of its Minimed Connect system that sends D-data to the cloud, a new partnership with Glooko for data-sharing, an exciting development partnership with Samsung, and launch of a pivotal trial on the hybrid closed-loop system. Wow!

Our own AmyT gave a talk at the ADA conference for the first time this year, on "Social Media - Part of the Diabetes Prescription?" Yep, that was all about how important it is for patients to get more than doctor's orders, but to have a support network and resources for their real-world questions -- and why doctors should embrace this.

We also held our June 2015 DiabetesMine D-Data ExChange gathering of D-tech leaders at an innovation center near the Boston Convention Center on the Friday before the big ADA meeting began. This mid-year #Ddata15 event was a packed house, and quite the revolutionary happening, with panels of all the major diabetes data players and industry leaders.

Bigfoot Biomedical snatched up the former Asante Snap technology, with plans to weave that into its future closed-loop system, and the startup also announced it was moving into the former Asante Solutions offices in California.

TypeZero Technologies emerged with its own goal of creating a closed-loop system, based on years of research at the University of Virginia.

We said HELLO to the new Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition launched by D-Advocates Christel Aprigliano and Bennet Dunlap, as a way to engage state and federal legislative bodies to take needed action on many issues important to our community.

July

"Hey, I have diabetes, so I'm going to Disney World!" Yep, that's what July is all about for many D-peeps. Mike was on hand this summer for some Disney-themed fun, and also learned about "diabetes advocacy musketeers" and more cool technology being developed -- among other things.

Mike made his way to Orlando for the Friends For Life conference hosted by Children With Diabetes, and aside from all the FFL fun it was awesome to see the Bionic Pancreas swing into its second-generation prototype and become iLET. This conference was also paired with the second annual MasterLab advocacy training event, organized by the Diabetes Hands Foundation.

The CEO of CrossFit ruffled many feathers this month with a misinformed comment about diabetes and sugar, and our D-Community responded in a variety of ways.

Companion Medical is developing a smart insulin pen, and we got the scoop on this next-gen gadget that allows a pen to act like an insulin pump.

Have you heard? Diabetes podcasts are back in full force and making (sound)waves full of diabetes chatter all around the Interwebz.

On a personal note, Mike moved back to Michigan after 11 years in Central Indiana... and of course diabetes was along for the adventure.

August

Google does diabetes, data-sharing goes viral, and a famous face in diabetes made his way back into the limelight as the summer months wound down... Oh, and did you know classic rock band Foreigner has a diabetes connection?!

HUGE news from Dexcom: First, the CGM maker inked a deal with Google Life Sciencesto create a dime-sized, bandaid-like CGM sensor that will be lower cost and easily accessible to even folks without diabetes. Then, news hit that the FDA approved the Dexcom G5 Mobile way earlier than anyone thought!

More new D-tech developments included Tandem signing on with Glooko and Animas hooking up with Tidepool for open-source data sharing. We also chatted with Samsung leadership about their diabetes plans and partnership with Medtronic going forward.

The American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) held its annual meeting in New Orleans, with a special appearance by none other than Mr. Wilford Brimley himself (you're thinking "diabeetus" along with us, right?).

Mike scored an exclusive interview with Mick Jones of classic rock band Foreigner, finding out for the first time that Mick lives with T2D (!) and how the legendary band has a close connection to T1D too. We also got details on the much-anticipated acoustic album being released in 2016. Very cool!

September

More diabetes devices, data, and apps, oh my! Yup, Labor Day month had us working hard to cover all the diabetes news making headlines...

Google expanded its diabetes reach by partnering with Sanofi and Joslin, doubling down on its push to make a difference in diabetes in the coming years.

Hoping to check the box on device interoperability, Roche Diabetes Care released its new Accu-Chek Connect meter that experts say sets the stage for future D-tech.

Philips became the next consumer tech giant to enter the diabetes world, talking about its plans for a new mobile app and community. A Philips exec took some time to chat with us in an exclusive Q&A.

Tandem Diabetes Care struck a high note with its approval of theintegrated t:slim G4 that combines its touchscreen insulin pump with a Dexcom G4 CGM.

October

Boo! Diabetes in Halloween Month had some exciting notes that weren't scary, but may seem more like Christmas than anything else... You decide.

Novo Nordisk got FDA approval for and launched its new Tresiba basal insulin, an ultra long-lasting formula that offers flexibility to take just every 42 hours if you wish. We chatted with Todd Hobbs, Novo's head of medical affairs, who is a type 1 himself.

A must-read: the new PLAID journal, which stands for People Living And Inspired By Diabetes, and is led by a fellow diabetes blogger. Actually, the latest issue was just published in early December, so check it out!

Blood glucose art sculptures? Yup, they exist and we shared the story of visual artist and technologist Justus Harris who's bringing a new 3D-style of creativity to the diabetes community.

Insulin pumps don't always deliver as they should, with the infusion sets being rather unreliable. Thankfully, a next-gen set called BD Flowsmart is in the works, to help us deliver insulin without the risk of so many occlusion errors.

November

This is the month of Diabetes Awareness in the U.S. and across the globe, so there's always a whole mess of activities and initiatives to report -- including World Diabetes Day on Nov. 14. It's also the big month for o Blue Circle

ur DiabetesMine Innovation Project events...

We're always keen to see what new and interesting initiatives are planned for D-Awareness Month in November, the month that always brings a tsunami of diabetes marketing pitches, too -- some better than others.

We took a deep dive into the iLET closed-loop system (formerly the Bionic Pancreas), and also heard whisperings that iLET inventor Ed Damiano and his team are eyeing the possibility of forming a commercial company in the near future.

Taking Control of Your Diabetes (TCOYD) joined with SmartPatients to create a new online community for people with diabetes.

We were thrilled to host our annual DiabetesMine D-Data ExChange and DiabetesMine Innovation Summit events at Stanford University School of Medicine, bringing some top innovative minds in diabetes technology and treatments together with leaders in design, clinical practice, and the regulatory world. Of course, at the center of these events are the patient advocates joining us!

This year we introduced two exciting new programs to track the innovations that help patients most: a Diabetes Challenges Matrix, and the first-ever DiabetesMine Usability Innovation Awards -- honoring the best tools, processes, programs, services, etc. out there, according to input from patients themselves.

Also launched at the Summit was VitalCrowd, a new crowdsourcing platform to allow patients and researchers to interact in unprecedented ways on designing clinical trials. Worth checking out!

December

Holiday season joy, with diabetes fun and festivities and a bunch of innovation all wrapped up into one gift package.

A group of D-Moms in California created a new diabetes awareness group called EASE T1D to help fight misconceptions and misdiagnoses, and they're kind of setting the bar for local action with school districts.

Do you agree about the Ridiculous Importance of Medical Carrying Cases? Yet device and medication makers don't seem to realize that. Enough said.

Mike did a trial run of the new Minimed Connect data viewing system, and found it sub-par mainly because the Medtronic CGM sensor proved so unreliable. Ugh.

We got an exciting, exclusive look into life on a homemade artificial pancreas -- from Chris Hannemann, who in August became the 5thperson on the planet to go live using what is known as #OpenAPS.

Speaking of open-source, we're now moving beyond diabetes tech and looking at insulin, too! Find out what biohacked #OpenInsulin is all about!

The future of new inhaled insulin Afrezza seems shaky, but we're finding that as the year closes, those who've been able to try it are really liking it.

We're looking forward to an exciting 2016 alongside all our Readers and Supporters!

Thank you (times infinity) for making DiabetesMine a daily must-stop for diabetes news and views, and for being a part of this amazing D-Community.