# Carbometrics - developing needle-free CGM !



## ExpatTaff (Jul 9, 2021)

I was genuinely astounded to read this evening the story of Carbometrics. I've searched the fora here and see that others had already commented on the Bristol University spin-out in the last 24-36 months regarding their concept and acquisition by Novo Nordisk (smart move on their part).  

Those posts (forum link below for ease of reference) are related to the concept of glucose-sensitive / smart insulin, which is described on Carbometrics' web site and was the immediate benefit of the NN acquisition.... that in itself will be transformational for our daily life and long-term prognosis... but what I read tonight on Carbometrics' web site was equally astounding.  

Turns out that they are using the same technology (and why not!) to develop a CGM system without having to wear anything on the body.  Arguably, if the glucose-sensitive insulin arrives first (and with NN backing it doubtless will), the CGM becomes less important... but even so.  It's another moment, after a momentous leap forward in science over the pandemic, to be grateful for our scientists.

Carbometrics plan to integrate with your smartphone just as some current CGM sensors do... but no physical component on your body. I've had diabetes for 42 years (some on here much longer I know) and despite massive advancements, everyone's hope for a cure hasn't quite materialised for all patient groups, though there is encouraging and serious progress there too.   But what they're developing really seems incredible and gives me serious tangible hope for a better future.  I've posted a note up to the Diabetes UK twitter feed as I've only discovered this forum a couple of months ago, and I really hope this gets successfully through the medical trials and eventually becomes available to us all.  We should remember not all medical trials are successful, many fail, but my late nan's wish might finally come true.

We might have to wait a while, but with that and smart insulin, our younger diabetic peers will have far less diabetic complications to fear in the future.  



			https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/novo-nordisk-buys-british-%E2%80%98smart%E2%80%99-insulin-diabetes-biotech-in-deal-worth-%E2%82%AC702m.74780/page-2#post-890339
		






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						Glucose Binding Molecules could revolutionize diabetes management
					

Scientists from Bristol University discovered a glucose binding molecule that can sense the presence of glucose in the bloodstream.



					www.horiba.com
				




Owain


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## SB2015 (Jul 9, 2021)

Wow!!!!

If this worked that would really revolutionise treatment of T1.  As you say, there is a long way to go.
I had a conversation with someone a couple of years ago who was working in Bristol in something around this.  I didn’t believe what he was describing was possible.


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## Paulbreen (Jul 9, 2021)

Sounds really interesting however the conspiracy theorist in me always smells a rat when an insulin manufacturer buys out a small tech operation that is developing technology that may infringe on their profits. One to watch for a while though.


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## Inka (Jul 9, 2021)

Interesting but I’m very suspicious too @Paulbreen I’ve seen too many ads and promotions like this, all bigged up to get sponsors and then turn to nothing.


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## everydayupsanddowns (Jul 9, 2021)

One of the first ‘bloggers events’ I was invited to was for a non-invasive CGM, and I allowed myself to get optimistically excited.

However the device and technology involved (raman spectroscopy), even though they had it CE marked, and had promising trial data… still never managed to make it to market because of the ‘last minute tweaks’ that they made (for a year or more). Haemorraging cash and the company eventually folded.

And then Google Glass… and then Apple and the iWatch…

And still we wait.

I would fully love Smart Insulin to be a thing - the idea of just being able to dose once a day/week/whatever and then think no more about it… eat what I like, exercise or slob out, and still have perfectly in-range numbers… is as near to a cure as I can imagine.

But I don’t emotionally invest in these stories any more I’m afraid.

I have hope. But not expectation.


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## Paulbreen (Jul 9, 2021)

I think I mentioned before I have a friend who is a developer with Apple in Cupertino and he tells me that they do have a small team working on diagnostic applications including BG monitoring for the AppleOS for phones and watches, he tells me there is already some code in IOS14 that will be supporting these innovations, they may be some time off before coming to the market but one thing for sure is the insulin manufacturers won’t be buying apple out to shut them down lol


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## m1dnc (Jul 10, 2021)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> I have hope. But not expectation.


I with you Mike on this one. I remember my GP saying to me more than 25 years ago that stem cell technology will produce a cure for T1 "within 10 years". Still waiting.


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## everydayupsanddowns (Jul 11, 2021)

m1dnc said:


> I with you Mike on this one. I remember my GP saying to me more than 25 years ago that stem cell technology will produce a cure for T1 "within 10 years". Still waiting.



Haha! I have a T1 friend with a t-shirt that reads “Don’t worry the cure is only 10 years away. (c) 1979”

Something a consultant said when he was diagnosed!


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## everydayupsanddowns (Jul 12, 2021)

I‘ve split the emerging discussion about stem cell transplantation to a new thread here:



			https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/islet-cell-transplants.94611/


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## Paulbreen (Jul 13, 2021)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> I‘ve split the emerging discussion about stem cell transplantation to a new thread here:
> 
> 
> 
> https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/islet-cell-transplants.94611/


Thanks Mike, I sort of unintentionally hijacked the original post by @ExpatTaff


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## everydayupsanddowns (Jul 15, 2021)

Paulbreen said:


> Thanks Mike, I sort of unintentionally hijacked the original post by @ExpatTaff



No problem, a bit of thread drift is more or less inevitable sometimes!


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## novonord (Jul 15, 2021)

as stated on another thread, Novo has completed the phase 1 study, 68 subjects, on June 23 so will have to await the result and see whether they take smart insulin further. Seems the study was based on their own molecule not the Carbometrics/Ziylo's though they continue to research the latter.
Eli Lilly also bought out Protomer Technologies yesterday with the aim of advancing their glucose-sensitive insulin into trials.


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## Jacqs96 (Jul 15, 2021)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> Haha! I have a T1 friend with a t-shirt that reads “Don’t worry the cure is only 10 years away. (c) 1979”
> 
> Something a consultant said when he was diagnosed!


Yep - we were told 10 years in 1998 whenever Daily Mail ( yes I know !!) ran a " cure" story we would do a dance around the kitchen. Needless to stay, the dancing soon stopped !


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## novonord (Jul 16, 2021)

most insulin therapies succeed in trials whereas most drugs in general in phase 1 fail or represent no advance on existing therapy. Novo's previous effort at an oral insulin failed apparently because of unpredictable release of insulin rather than overall failure of absorption. think the glucose-sensitive insulin stands a better chance than oral insulin, and we don't know whether this is being aimed at the basal or bolus market or both, but is a new approach so prospect of success is lower than for insulins whose pharmacokinetics/dynamics are modified by excipients or a modification to one or two amino acids. Race is on between Eli Lilly and Novo, so that gives some hope, both of which have enormous resource to throw at the problem.


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## novonord (Jul 19, 2021)

seems NN's trial is a once daily glucose responsive insulin, can't work out whether it's a replacement for basal or bolus or both- will have to see whether they take it further, but boronic acid based glucose sensitive insulin in trials from another company has previously failed.

as regards carbometrics, they haven't been bought out by NN, they're still independent and have received a round of funding from Parkwalk and others recently and are working with NN and many other companies on long-lasting accurate CGM implants, I think, aimed at doing away with the pain and tedium of finger pricks.
NN bought out only the Ziylo side to gain access to their specific linker for glucose sensitive insulin.


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