#insulin

[surviving-the-next-4-years]

[reasonsforhope]

FDA just approved the world’s first once-a-week insulin injection for diabetics, a major development for patients who rely on daily insulin

For millions of people managing type 2 diabetes, mornings begin the same way — a needle, a dose, and a quiet mental note to do it all again

So that article turned out to be AI. No I did not know that at the time I posted it. Yes I did find out a few hours later (in this case, there is substantial evidence that the people who called AI in the comment section were correct).

No I did not deal with it immediately, because I've been dealing with severe medical issues for months.

(Get your shots. Post-viral syndromes like long COVID are brutal. Also, get your shots because some people, like me last year, CAN'T get COVID or flu vaccines because of the medical complications it would cause. Any year you CAN get vaccinated, DO get vaccinated.)

I'm leaving it up so that this full information and context is here when anyone tries to navigate to the original post.

Also because the headline itself is true and I can verify that part, at least, independently (and had while creating the original post).

Here's another, much better source:

FDA Approves Weekly Basal Insulin for Adults With Type 2 Diabetes

-via JAMA Network (medical journal), April 17, 2026. doi: 10.1001/jama.2026.2111

Of course, that's paywalled, because most academic sources are these days (derogatory). So here's the source I found that best seems to have the best lay reader explanation (but which unfortunately does not have a preview image that works with tumblr's embedded link formatting)

Awiqli: FDA Approves First and Only Once-Weekly Long-Acting Basal Insulin for Adults With Type 2 Diabetes

What Is Awiqli, and Why Does It Matter? Awiqli (insulin icodec-abae) is a once-weekly long-acting basal insulin injection approved by the FDA for adults with type 2 diabetes. It helps lower blood sugar levels when used along with a healthy diet and regular exercise. It is taken as a subcutaneous (under-the-skin) shot with a prefilled FlexTouch pen on the same day every week. Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which the body has trouble controlling blood sugar levels. If it isn't well managed, it can lead to serious complications like heart disease, kidney damage, nerve problems, and vision loss. Many people need insulin to control their diabetes, which often means giving themselves daily injections to keep their blood sugar in a healthy range. Awiqli is the only long-acting man-made insulin (U-700) in the U.S. that is designed to last an entire week. Its active ingredient, insulin icodec-abae, loosely attaches to a blood protein called albumin, forming a reservoir that slowly and steadily releases insulin into the bloodstream. This lowers blood sugar levels in the same way as human insulin. Because of this slow, steady release, Awiqli provides a consistent dose of insulin icodec-abae and maintains a stable blood sugar-lowering effect throughout the week.  This approval matters because this medicine reduces the number of basal insulin shots from seven to one per week, offering a more convenient option that can be tailored to individual needs and routines.

-via WebMD, March 27, 2026. And that matters, because how easily you are able to take your meds determines how often you are able to take your meds, which with type II diabetes in particular (as well as plenty of other conditions) is often:

the difference between being pain-free and developing nerve damage

the difference between keeping your mobility and losing it

the difference between keeping you leg and losing it

the difference between keeping your life and losing it

So that's why this is a reason for hope.

That's why this matters. This will save people's lives.

--

(And that is why we need to do everything we can to make sure every single person in the world can access this medication when needed - fuck corporate patents, lives are more important)

More details on how that post mixup happened after the readmore if you're curious:

So, frankly and painfully, the specific AI article I originally linked did a better job of explaining the difference this will make in people's lives better than any legitimate medical source than search engines were giving me, especially if I wanted to link an article that wasn't behind a paywall. And I hate that it was better than anything else my search engine would give me!! That's a problem due in large part to Google and other tech companies intentionally ruining their search algorithms for greater ad visibility and an informational monopoly.

But, yeah, that's why I went with it over other sources despite the major red flag and general terrible practice of the article not having a specific author credited. (Which isn't always an AI thing, to be clear, sometimes it's just a shitty media outlet thing, as has been the case since long before generative AI.)

[theconcealedweapon]

Insulin is a perfect counter to the "without a profit motive no one will invent anything" bullshit.

The inventors of insulin wanted it to be free and avaliable to everyone who needs it. The inventors invented it without a profit motive.

Then, capitalists inserted themselves as middle men in order to extract profit from it. It's now ridiculously expensive and people need it to live.

People are dying. The tool to save them exists. Capitalists hijack the lifesaving tool and hold it for ransom. Because of that, people die.

Capitalism is pure evil. Capitalists are murderers.

[animentality]

[theknightlywolfe]

Reminder that Biden brought insulin prices down. Reminder that Trump's piece of shit "bill"/budget/cram all the bullshit in monstrosity is going to bring it right back on up.

Reminder it costs like $6 to manufacture a month's supply for one person. Reminder that most other developed nations pay approx $100 for a month's supply.

[saywhat-politics]

California to begin selling affordable, state-branded insulin beginning next year

Insulin pens will be available at a recommended price of $11 per pen, or a maximum of $55 for a five-pack.

Oct. 16, 2025, 4:52 PM EDT / Source: The Associated Press

By The Associated Press

Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday that California will begin selling affordable insulin under its own label on Jan. 1, nearly three years after he first announced a partnership to sell state-branded generic drugs at lower prices.

But California won’t be the only state making lower-cost insulin available. The nonprofit Civica said it will also distribute its economical diabetes medication to pharmacies nationwide. California began partnering with Civica in 2023 for its “CalRx” brand of insulin and put $50 million toward its development, the company said.

[sugas6thtooth]

It is no secret that Israel attacks the most vulnerable and will do so by any means. The truth is in everyone's face yet so many people refuse to see this as a genocide.

[the--dark--side]