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This episode covers the upcoming glucose monitor Biolinq Shine, the Insulin Icodec FDA resubmission, and the end of Eli Lilly's work in T2D.
Welcome back to Diabetes Dialogue: Technology, Therapeutics, & Real-World Perspectives!
In this episode, cohosts Diana Isaacs, PharmD, and Natalie Bellini, DNP, explore 3 significant developments shaping diabetes care: a novel glucose-sensing technology, the return of once-weekly insulin icodec to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and changes to Eli Lilly’s metabolic research pipeline.
00:00:01 Introduction
00:00:18 The Biolinq Shine
00:05:59 The Practicality of Monitoring Glucose
00:06:55 Wishlist for the Biolinq's Future
00:08:38 Insulin Icodec Resubmission
00:10:21 Benefits of Once-Weekly Insulin
00:14:00 International Success Stories
00:15:28 Eli Lilly Cancels Bimagrumab for T2D
00:18:36 Bimagrumab Still in Testing for Obesity
00:22:49 Outro
The discussion opens with the Biolinq Shine, a new glucose range monitoring system that recently received FDA de novo classification. Unlike traditional continuous glucose monitors that rely on interstitial fluid, Biolinq Shine is intradermal, using a micro-sensor array that sits within the skin—no introducer needle required. Bellini highlights this as a potential breakthrough for individuals with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes who are hesitant to use traditional sensors due to invasiveness. Instead of providing numerical glucose values, Biolinq Shine uses an intuitive color-coded LED display to indicate glucose ranges. Isaacs notes that this simplified feedback may reduce data overload for users while still promoting time-in-range awareness. The device has been studied extensively, with trials including a racially and ethnically diverse population, an encouraging development in diabetes research. Isaacs also points to the platform’s potential to measure other analytes—such as ketones or electrolytes—and integrate lifestyle data like sleep and activity, suggesting a more holistic user experience in future iterations.
The hosts then turn to Novo Nordisk’s resubmission of once-weekly insulin icodec for FDA review, this time focusing solely on type 2 diabetes after the initial application was declined. Both Isaacs and Bellini describe the approach as pragmatic, emphasizing that a once-weekly basal insulin could dramatically reduce treatment burden and improve adherence, particularly in older adults or those requiring caregiver support. They reference the product’s approval in several international markets and discuss the potential for combination therapy with once-weekly GLP-1 receptor agonists. While noting practical considerations—such as how clinicians might adjust dosing during hospitalizations—the hosts express optimism that U.S. approval would expand therapeutic flexibility and simplify diabetes management.
Finally, the episode covers Eli Lilly’s decision to discontinue its type 2 diabetes trial combining bimagrumab (a myostatin inhibitor) with tirzepatide, despite early evidence suggesting the dual therapy could preserve muscle mass during weight loss. Citing “strategic business reasons,” the company halted the diabetes study but continues to investigate the compound in obesity. Isaacs and Bellini discuss possible explanations, including cost, market focus, or differential efficacy in type 2 diabetes versus obesity, and highlight the broader promise of precision medicine approaches in metabolic care.
The episode concludes with a look ahead to ongoing innovation—intradermal sensors, once-weekly insulins, and novel combination therapies—underscoring how rapidly the field of diabetes technology and therapeutics continues to evolve.
