World Diabetes Day (Nov. 14) may have passed, but it remains National Diabetes Month through the end of November.
A number of companies developing some of the most intriguing innovations in diabetes care have also stepped forward this month to organize awareness-raising efforts for the metabolic disease.
Here are some steps a handful of diabetes technology developers have made to try and bring more attention to diabetes management:
Dexcom
The San Diego-based company, which develops continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), including the current-generation G6 and the much-anticipated next-generation G7, enlisted the likes of Nick Jonas and Patti LaBelle to promote The Global Movement for Time in Range.
Jonas, a musician, actor and philanthropist, has been sharing Instagram Stories daily to his following of more than 31 million users throughout the month in an effort to increase awareness of what it is like to live with diabetes. LaBelle, a musician, actress, author and entrepreneur joined the Diabetes Leadership Council to speak to Congress during a virtual event on Nov. 4.
English comedian Ed Gamble, German Olympian Matthias Steiner and Australian model Stephanie Northwood-Blyth will also amplify the movement’s efforts throughout the month, Dexcom said.
Abbott
Representing the first community initiative under the ADA’s Health Equity Now platform, the effort will launch in Columbus, Ohio, and be conducted with the National Center for Urban Solutions (NCUS).
The initiative aims understand and address healthcare disparities for people with cover living with diabetes while also improving accessibility of diabetes care technology within the community, with NCUS providing up to 150 Black adults living with diabetes in the Columbus community with health education and access to Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre flash glucose monitoring technology.
According to Abbott, it designed FreeStyle Libre technology with access and affordability in mind. The company aims to make it broadly available to all with diabetes to align with the company’s 2030 sustainability plan.
Medtronic
The company has scheduled a health equity webinar for Nov. 29 to share how it is contributing to innovations that improve diabetes management as it addresses health inequities and access to care. Earlier this month, Medtronic also released a video demonstrating its commitment to health equity for people of color living with diabetes.
On Nov.1, the company released a “Thank You Insulin” video, with spokespeople including athletes Lauren Cox (LA Sparks) and Jordan Hicks (St. Louis Cardinals), among other ambassadors, expressing gratitude for the discovery of insulin and encouraging others to share their own “Thank You Insulin” video.
Additionally, Medtronic lit its San Antonio offices — the headquarters of its Americas Region business — blue this past week to celebrate World Diabetes Day.
Insulet
Additionally, Insulet, maker of the Omnipod wearable insulin delivery system, partnered with Senita to offer fitness apparel, using a portion of the proceeds to fund scholarships for students living with diabetes.
The company is participating in a number of multi-media campaigns on social media to raise awareness, including featuring Rebecca Redmond, Omnipod customer and relative of the co-discoverer of insulin Dr. Frederick Banting, across multiple channels and highlighted as “Podder of the Month.”
On Monday, Insulet was in charge of virtually “ringing” the closing bell at the Nasdaq stock market, with President & CEO Shacey Petrovic joined by members of the Insulet community in doing so.
Eli Lilly 
Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) earlier this month announced the five winners of the inaugural Leonard Award, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin. The award was inspired by the life of Leonard Thompson, the first person with diabetes to be treated with insulin in 1922.
For each winner, Eli Lilly gave $20,000 ($100,000 in total) to Life for a Child, a global non-profit organization that provides access to care, education and life-saving medicines and supplies to children and young people with type 1 diabetes in resource-limited countries.
The winners (Drew Mendelow, Sana Ajmal, Dr. Giuseppina Chierici, Vanita Pais and Dr. James Shapiro) and their achievements can be seen on Eli Lilly’s website.
Winners were selected by an external judges’ panel of leaders in diabetes care, with the panel evaluating more than 70 submissions of an original project, innovation or effort that addresses either an important need or challenge in the management of diabetes or aims to support the community.
