I’m writing this way too late Sunday night and I’m a little exhausted and bleary-eyed after two 12-hour days of “running the conference.” Sorry, no, I’m not in charge of anything. Just running around the enormous expo show floor and from one briefing to another and connecting with industry people I know and don’t know and marveling at all the technology and drug signage and fanfare and goodies and earnest-looking physicians and pharma gals in their little black business suits. Loads of ‘em.

There’s no lack of news this year, but since DiabetesMine is hosting a special dinner at the conference this time around (that’s tonight!), I’ve had nary a minute to start writing it all up. The rest of this week will be info-packed, I promise.

For today, a quick run-through of some items of interest:

* Is it possible that the Powers That Be having been treating Type 2 diabetics all backwards? Perhaps. This seemed to be the suggestion of Dr. Ralph DeFronzo of the University of Texas Health Sciences Center, recipient of this year’s Banting Medal, the ADA’s highest award for scientific achievement. In his lecture Sunday morning, he stated that newly diagnosed Type 2s should really be started on beta-cell preserving drugs (thiazolidenediones {TZDs} such as Actos or Avandia, and gut-hormone drugs like exenatide {Byetta}) right away, instead of the first-course of metformin and sulfonylureas that is currently conventional D-treatment wisdom. Read the ADA’s official blog, penned this year by Anita Manning, formerly of USA Today, for more details.

* Insulin pumps with color screens, coming your way soon. And I’m not just talking about brightly lit LED screens, like that of the Animas 2020. I’m talking full-color screens with pop-up icons you’ll love to touch. Rather iPhone like, don’t you think? What a concept

* The big guns in pumping are officially chasing Insulet Corp. Medtronic was showing off a glass case with models of its “technology trajectory” — code for future product designs. I wasn’t allowed to photograph the stuff, but let me just say that what they had in there were a bunch of insulin pod prototypes and cellphone-like controller units they hope to craft into a market-storming tubeless pumping system by 2010. Of course, by then Insulet may well have integrated CGM technology into the OmniPod for a complete wireless CGM/pump combo system. That’s what Insulet was hinting at, anyway. And let’s hope so!

* Medtronic was also showing off a car with built-in CGMS. For real! (I’m hoping to get the photos soon) They outfitted a dark blue sedan with a large color GPS screen that’s been configured to pick up the real-time glucose data from their Guardian system. Imagine, your MiniLink transmitting to a screen right in front of you while you drive. Actually, the screen display looked incredibly distracting, i.e. major road hazard as you watch your breakfast muffin peak… but it sure would be awesome to have your automobile be able to alert you to encroaching lows. And no more need to pull over for testing on those long road trips. A futuristic vision, of course, but it sure made a splashy booth display at ADA.

* All four of the Inspired by Diabetes contest winners were announced and on-hand at the Eli Lilly booth for photos and shmoozing, accompanied by super-D-crooner himself Elliott Yamin. (Lots of the male docs seemed to have no idea who he was, but lots of the ladies showed up for autographs “for the kids”). More about the truly inspirational winners here soon.

A few views:

I met Elliott Yamin — live and in person this time. No star attitude at all… just one great dude!

Hangin’ with TuDiabetes Founder (and cool guy) Manny Hernandez and health writer and analyst Melissa Ford

(Click HERE to see Manny’s much higher-quality shot of us)

Wall-to-wall diabetes treatments and treaters. Yipes

Even the buses got into the act

Elsewhere on the web:

Fellow D-writer David Mendosa is blogging the conference, too.

All the clinical news you can stand here.

You can read the official daily conference newsletter called Dispatch here.

I’m looking forward to sharing many observances and opinions about what I’ve seen at the conference this year in the days to come. Tune in tomorrow for the details on our dinner event. You might be surprised.

Monday, June 9th, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (6)