The Corner Booth

Bob Geho refers to himself as a "liver evangelist" when it comes to improving diabetes care. That's because he's on a holy mission to get insulin to be better absorbed in the bodies of PWDs (people with diabetes), using nanotechnology targetting that organ. The 50-year-old from Cleveland, OH, also happens to live with type 1 himself, diagnosed during college in the early 90s. That was a life-changing moment that shifted not only how he thought about his own health, but also set him on a career path in medical science that his father had paved before him. Today, he is CEO of Cleveland-based startup Diasome Pharmaceuticals , developing nanotechnology known as HDV (short for Hepatocyte Directed Vesicles), that would be injected as an insulin add-on or swallowed as a pill. It would attach to insulin, causing the medication to be better absorbed into the liver's metabolic cells (rather than the muscles or fat) before being released back into the bloodstream. ...

You may recognize actor Victor Garber from the numerous parts he's played through the years, from roles in movies like  Titanic  and TV shows Alias  and Legends of Tomorrow,  to theater performances that include last year's “ Hello Dolly! ” on Broadway. But did you also know that he's part of our diabetes tribe, nearing six decades of living with type 1 diabetes? We had an absolute pleasure connecting with Victor recently, thanks to our friends at non-profit Beyond Type 1, that Victor’s been involved with for several years now. (We also loved the irony of talking with Victor on Easter weekend, knowing that he'd played Jesus in the musical Godspell way back in the early 70s.) The 70-year-old Canadian actor hails from London, Ontario, which happens to be the “birthplace of insulin,” and a portrait with his story hangs on the wall inside the historic Banting House in that small town. In our phone interview, Victor showed how kind, open, and down-to-earth he is – ...

Thinking about Congressional hearings on the current Insulin Pricing Crisis, your first instinct may be to roll your eyes and clench your fists. But hold on a moment... What we're seeing on Capitol Hill now may be something new, Folks. We've reached a point where these Congressional hearings go beyond typical policy jargon to include intrigue and human drama that evokes hints of The Godfather, Robin Hood , and binge-worthy hits like Game of Thrones . After all, we're talking about people literally dying out there after rationing insulin because of unaffordability and lack of access. OK, the GoT comparison may seem a bit extreme, but it actually came up in last week's two days of hearing on April 9-10. I was absolutely glued to the screen, in  popcorn status , on the edge of my seat in suspense -- as I followed the 2.5-hour hearing before a House investigational subcommittee on Wednesday. Before this panel were six people: three representing the Big Three Insulin Manufa...

For the first time ever, the JDRF has a new Chief Executive Officer who lives with type 1 diabetes himself and has been an instrumental leader within the organization for more than a decade. Dr. Aaron Kowalski becomes the new CEO,  taking over for D-Dad Derek Rapp, who announced in October that he would be stepping down. This is big news and a huge win for all of us in the D-Community, Folks! Not only because Aaron is “one of us” in the pancreatically-challenged tribe, but also because he’s highly respected among the patient and healthcare communities, med-tech industry, and regulatory and policy spaces. He’s seen as a powerful advocate and “game-changer” who brings a personal D-connection and passion to everything he does. Diagnosed at age 13 in 1984, Aaron was the second in his family to be diagnosed, after his younger brother Steve had been diagnosed several years earlier at age 3. Notably, this means that the country’s two biggest diabetes orgs — the JDRF and the Amer...

Yes, I have type 1 diabetes and I can drink beer. In fact, I'm a craft beer lover who's pretty passionate about trying new brews and supporting my local beer makers (who invent awesomeness in a mug). The fact that I'm pancreatically-challenged changes nothing about that, except for requiring a bit more planning and awareness of how particular brews may impact my blood sugars. Over the years, I've lost count of the times I've heard folks wonder whether PWDs (people with diabetes) are able to drink anything, particularly beer. And I've been amazed to meet medical professionals who take the lazy way out and just tell patients that any drop of alcohol is off-limits. This very directive came my way recently, from a general practitioner who clearly didn't make the cut when I was searching for a new primary care physician. Obviously, I'm not a doctor. But in my 20+ years of legally drinking countless beers (all of them with T1D on tap, too), I wou...