In 2003, an MIT chemical engineer founded a company called SmartCells, to develop smart insulin.
What is smart insulin?
Smart insulin is a form of insulin that circulates in the bloodstream and turns on when it’s needed to lower blood sugars and off when blood sugars are at safe levels.
Smart insulin could eliminate virtually all of the daily burdens associated with mechanically managing the disease would profoundly enhance and simplify the lives of people with T1D. Moreover, by improving overall blood-glucose controls, the risks of life-threatening complications would sharply diminish, leading to longer, healthier lives.
While still years away from becoming a treatment, smart insulin will, with continued JDRF investment, become another life-changing therapy for those with T1D. But JDRF still needs tens of millions of dollars to get smart insulin into the hands of those who need it. Support JDRF’s efforts and together we can change Type One into Type None.
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Merck paid $500 million for Smart Insulin and JDRF says they need to raise $28 million in the near future to move this along? Something just seems odd here. JMO. When’s the last time you read anything new about Merck’s Smart Insulin? Smart insulin would be a much better investment – a true closed loop without expensive technology. This should be a very high priority. Looking forward to more coverage on this topic including other researchers/pharma working on a similar solution.