Canada’s Minister of Health, Jane Philpott, said today that the Canadian Institutes of Health Research inked a $30 million partnership with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to support clinical research for Type I diabetes. Both groups have agreed to invest $15 million to the deal.
“The government of Canada recognizes the impact that Type I diabetes has on Canadians and their families,” Philpott said in prepared remarks. “This research will help improve the quality of life for Canadians living with Type I diabetes and drive efforts to find a cure for this condition.”
“CIHR is proud to be working with JDRF to support research on type 1 diabetes,” Dr. Phillip Sherman, scientific director of the CIHR Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes, added. “This new partnership will focus the efforts of the diabetes research community in Canada and speed the development of new and better treatments for type 1 diabetes.”
JDRF has invested nearly $2 billion in Type I diabetes research since they launched in 1970, according to the advocacy organization.
“We are honoured to partner with CIHR to continue funding the best and brightest scientists in the field,” JDRF Canada president & CEO Dave Prowten said. “This partnership will enable JDRF Canada to make significant advancements in the fight against diabetes and to positively impact the lives of the hundreds of thousands of Canadians currently living with Type I diabetes.”
“Canada is known for its state-of-the-art Type I diabetes research, and has played a pivotal role in ground-breaking discoveries,” JDRF International CEO Derek Rapp added. “We are pleased to be entering into this exciting partnership with CIHR to advance global science excellence.”
In February, JDRF awarded a $2 million grant to GluSense, part of Rainbow Medical, for the company’s injectable glucose sensor.
Israel-based GluSense is developing the Glyde continuous glucose monitor for patients with Type I diabetes. The device is injected under the skin and lasts for 1 year, according to the company, sending continuous glucose measurements wirelessly to a wearable device.
