Our Projects
Research
The Diabetes Care Trust funded two studies on EndoBarrier, a 60cm tube-like liner inserted via endoscopy to prevent food from contacting the first section of the small intestine. Clinical trials have shown that EndoBarrier leads to weight loss and improved glycemic control, making it a promising future treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes.
More than 3,000 patients worldwide have undergone EndoBarrier treatment, with notable improvements in weight, diabetes control, cardiovascular risk, and reductions in the need for insulin and other medications.
The patient pictured benefitted with great improvement in her weight, her diabetes and her fatty liver.
To gain information about recent projects funded by the Diabetes Care Trust, visit abcd.care/current/research-grants and abcd.care/dragons-den
Audit
The Diabetes Care Trust continues to fund audits to monitor the real-world effectiveness of new diabetes therapies and devices.
Our first audit, launched in 2008, focused on Exenatide, a synthetic version of a protein found in the Gila monster’s saliva. In addition to demonstrating its efficacy, our audits have been instrumental in addressing safety concerns. For example, when a 2013 TV documentary raised fears about a possible link between Exenatide and pancreatic damage, analysis of our audit data provided reassurance. The rates of acute pancreatitis were low and mostly attributable to other causes.
The Diabetes Care Trust remains committed to advancing diabetes care through rigorous audits, research, and ongoing support for new therapies and technologies. Our efforts continue to provide invaluable insights that improve patient outcomes and enhance the quality of diabetes management worldwide.
The patient pictured benefitted with great improvement in her weight, her diabetes and she was able to discontinue insulin.
Medication.
The Diabetes Care Trust has been instrumental in funding audits of new diabetes therapies since 2008. These audits focus on real-world usage and provide crucial data on the effectiveness and safety of medications beyond the controlled environment of clinical trials. The findings from these audits have often revealed additional benefits not seen in trials, offering valuable insights into how these therapies work in everyday clinical practice.
Technology
Since 2017, the Diabetes Care Trust has funded six audits evaluating new diabetes devices, providing groundbreaking insights:
Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) Audits: These audits demonstrated that CGM use in real-world settings improves glucose control, increases awareness of hypoglycemia, and reduces hospital admissions, paramedic callouts, and diabetes-related distress.
Hybrid Closed Loop (HCL) System Audit: The pilot audit conducted with NHS England showed that in real-world settings, HCL technology improved glucose control, increased time spent with normal glucose levels, and reduced diabetes-related distress. The findings informed the NICE Technology Appraisal of HCL (TA943), published in December 2023. Following the pilot’s success, the Trust is now funding a broader HCL audit across the UK, alongside an audit of the latest CGM technologies.
Inpatient
The Diabetes Care Trust has significantly contributed to improving inpatient diabetes care. It provided funding to the Association of British Clinical Diabetes (ABCD), which helped establish the Joint British Diabetes Societies (JBDS) for Inpatient Care Group in 2008. The JBDS has developed high-quality, evidence-based guidelines used globally (with over 1 million downloads) to enhance diabetes management in hospitals.
In addition, the Trust funded a COVID-19 & Diabetes audit, which provided invaluable insights during the pandemic. We are also supporting an audit in the under-researched area of testosterone deficiency in men with type 2 diabetes.
Insulin
The Diabetes Care Trust has funded two important audits on new insulin therapies:
Insulin Degludec Audit: An audit on insulin degludec in clinical practice showed that patients who transitioned from older insulins experienced significant improvements in glucose control, with reductions in minor, severe, and nocturnal hypoglycemia.
IDegLira (Insulin Degludec + Liraglutide) Audit: This audit revealed that combining insulin degludec with liraglutide led to improvements in glucose control without causing weight gain, providing an effective therapeutic option for patients with type 2 diabetes.
Contact us.
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