JDRF Advocacy

Yesterday, our JDRF Advocacy page on Facebook posted a little factoid, ‘…currently, adults make up approximately 85% of those living with type 1 diabetes,’ and then we asked, ‘Are you a T1D adult, T1D teen, or a parent of a T1D? We'd love to know what you think and how T1D impacts you!’

Nearly 160 people responded with their thoughts and we wanted to take a moment to thank YOU for your comments. (I share some of them below, but you can read all of them on our JDRF Advocacy page on Facebook!)

Today, you can
help diabetes advocacy efforts by thanking your Members of Congress while JDRF staff and other
experts review the intricate details of the artificial pancreas guidance that
was published on December 1.

Thanks
to all your efforts, last week the FDA put out encouraging draft
artificial pancreas guidance. While a detailed review is still under way,
the FDA draft appears to lay a foundation for accelerating the development and
availability of artificial pancreas systems that will improve the lives of
millions of Americans living with type 1 diabetes.

In the past several weeks over 110,000 diabetes advocates signed onto a petition asking the FDA to issue draft guidance by December 1 that would advance the testing and development of artificial pancreas systems. We wanted to share the news that FDA has just published this important draft guidance and based on an initial review JDRF is encouraged that it appears to lay a foundation for accelerating the development and availability of artificial pancreas technologies.

I am extremely elated to tell you that as of this afternoon, we have surpassed our mid-Campaign goal of reaching 250 Promise meetings! Our aim was to schedule or hold that many meetings by December 31, so we have officially hit our mark one month early!

The importance of why we need an artificial pancreas (AP) sooner than later is best explained by those who hold hope in it's benefit! Over 110,000 diabetes supporters have signed a petition asking the FDA to make sure we have access to this vital device.

If you have haven't signed the AP petition, then watch a video from a 2011 Children's Congress family, the Platts from California, and find out why they think we need the AP sooner than later. 

I wanted to invite you to join JDRF’s President
& CEO, Jeffrey Brewer, and Assistant Vice President of Treatment
Therapies, Aaron Kowalski, Ph.D., on November 14 at 3:30 p.m. ET for a special live webcast on World Diabetes Day!

Later this week, JDRF allies on Capitol Hill will hold a press conference to urge the FDA to issue clear and reasonable guidance on the Artificial Pancreas. We’ll be live tweeting the press conference and will announce if we
break 100,000 diabetes advocates supporting the Artificial Pancreas
Petition on Twitter!  We hope that you'll log on to Twitter on Wednesday at 2:30pm Eastern and follow the hashtag #AP100k!

As the point staff member for regulatory affairs at the JDRF, I wanted to personally thank you for your support on moving the artificial pancreas
regulatory process forward, it has been such a tremendous help!

After the celebration of accomplishing 200 Promise meetings, what better to follow up with than this week's Promise digest! Check out the summary of recently held meetings below. Does one of these meetings inspire your to attend your own? Sign up on the Promise website today and you will be the first to hear about meetings with your Member of Congress!