There's a story running on CNN Money about the progress of Oramed Pharmaceuticals' insulin capsule, which is currently under development. The capsule, taken orally, could provide a more convenient way for diabetics to get insulin than through shots. And popping a gel cap would, needless to say, also be more convenient than toting and blowing on one of those big old clunky Exubera inhalers.

In the quest to get its product to market, Oramed needs cash, and lots of it. Answering the call, a combination of private investors are putting up more than two million dollars in financing for the Israel-based company.

It's hoped the money will help to propel the insulin capsule through completion of Phase 1 (drug safety) trials by the middle of next year. Said Oramed CEO Nadav Kidron, "This investment marks a milestone for Oramed's stability, allowing the company to fully focus on its research and development efforts and complete its phase 1 product trials."

Stay tuned.

Gary Stocklaufer, a state-certified foster parent from Missouri, received some shocking news from a judge in mid-July. About three months ago, Stocklaufer and his wife Cynthia welcomed baby Max to their foster home after a cousin was unable to raise him. They decided to proceed with formal adoption. The Stocklaufers headed to family court thinking the adoption would be a simple process, but received news he was too fat to be an adoptive father. Gary weighs 500 pounds.

The Stocklaufers are devastated. Mr. Stocklaufer called the action out-and-out discrimination as his weight is immaterial to his ability to serve as an adoptive father. He does not understand why he cannot adopt his own cousin when he is already a licensed foster parent and has cared for many children. A further CNN news report quoted a court appointed legal guardian stated Mr. Stocklaufer may develop diabetes or sleep apnea. Utterly outrageous!

Get this -- the Stocklaufers adopted their son Bobby seven years ago from the same judge who ruled he is now unfit due to obesity. Mr. Stocklaufer weighed the same seven years ago. I see a lawsuit on the horizon, or at least a successful appeal. Two attorney experts interviewed by CNN think the judge totally blew it. What is your opinion? As of this morning, about 70 percent believe the judge was wrong. Place your vote and read the full story here.

Did anybody catch the first ever YouTube democratic debate last week? It was cosponsored by CNN and the cool thing about it was this: all the questions came in from Americans like you and me. Turns out two of the candidates spoke out on behalf of diabetes. Here's what they had to say...

Governor Richardson mentioned the fact that 33% of Medicare is wrapped up in diabetes costs. He suggests, "Let's have major prevention programs, and also ways that we can ensure that we find a cure." He still has not announced a plan to ensure a cure. But if he does - I'm willing to bet all of his campaign funding from Big Pharma might mysteriously disappear.

The other candidate addressing diabetes was Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut. Dodd's promise came after from a woman's question about stem cell research. Somehow the senator was able to plug an endeavor to "deal with diabetes". However, much like Governor Richardson - he has yet to announce a plan to cure. Politics as usual. Stay tuned for the LIVE Republican Debate on September 17th.

The Democratic presidential candidates all know this: whoever gets the nomination has an excellent shot at making it to the White House. First, though, is the long, hard, down and dirty campaign slog in which each candidate has to do the impossible - try and be all things to all people.

One thing we can except is that they all devote a little time to addressing diabetes. Specifically, finding a cure for type 1 diabetes and strategies for containing the unprecedented spread of type 2 diabetes. The type 2 "epidemic" (as it is sometimes called) is all the more serious because of the strain it is adding to the US healthcare system, a system already failing to meet the needs of many Americans.

During Monday night's CNN/YouTube debate, the candidates were asked about their plans for the healthcare system. Click here to read what they had to say about health issues. Two of the candidates, Senator Chris Dodd (CT) and Governor Bill Richardson (NM), both mentioned diabetes and their desire to cope with the problem, but they didn't get a chance to go into detail in the context of a televised debate. Such is the world we live in, folks! Visit CNN to read a transcript of the debate.

Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton has joined with other New York lawmakers to push for Congressional funding to fight the spread of type 2 in that state. The requested sum? $120 million. Click here to check out Allie's take on that issue.

When TIME magazine does a piece on your plight - it's definitely gaining public interest. The fact that 1 in 3 people affected by Type 1 diabetes manipulate their insulin to lose weight is an eye-opening statistic. This lethal coping mechanism is termed diabulemia and a major national TV show is seeking diabulmics for a "sensitive, accurate portrayal of the condition" - at least that is what they told me.

I volunteered myself for the interview. I've struggled with diabulemia for the past 15 years until I did something a doctor would NEVER recommend. I called the station back - it was CNN. I divulged what a day in the life was like when I practiced diabulemia -- and I was good at it! When I told the interviewer that I noticed a world of difference when I changed my insulin from human synthetic to natural animal, she was surprised (so was my doctor). The key to mitigating my angst with insulin was getting the message to my brain at the same time the rest of my body was getting the glucose. This is less effective in newer insulin analogues. Big Pharma does not profit by selling natural vertebrate insulin even if it is better for hormonal response in suppressing appetite and preventing your body from entering ketoacidosis (DKA). Big Pharma profits if they own the patent for the specific insulin analogue you use. In my land of milk and honey - I realized Big Pharma is not my mom, not my dad and not my best friend. Big Pharma is not personal -- Big Pharma is business. So I took my business elsewhere because I didn't like the way Big Pharma was handling my business.

I don't mind explaining my abusive relationship with insulin if it helps anybody struggling with diabulemia. It's a shameful thing but it doesn't have to be. It's controversial but it's all true. For those of you considering your 15 minutes for diabulemia -- don't be concerned about your privacy. The TV show is planning to shoot the interview in shadow. If you wish to learn more about contributing to this documentary, please see The Sugar Shock.

Mad Money is a stock show on CNBC hosted by Jim Cramer - a well-known iron fist on Wall Street. He has a following of stock enthusiasts who regard his recommendations (buy or sell) as gospel. Why is he so good at what he does? He just wants to help you make money.

And to this end -- the reason I bring Cramer's passionate drive to The Diabetes Blog is simple: last week he called Novo Nordisk as a SELL. Cramer said he's beginning to worry about a backlash on drug stocks. He advised that viewers should not be greedy and should take gains in Novo Nordisk (NVO).

Perhaps the NY Times article raised some eyebrows at Big Pharma. It appears doctors are receiving handsome gifts and stipends for handing out samples of drugs that were not all that safe for most patients. The payments give physicians an incentive to prescribe the medicines at levels that might increase patients' risks of heart attacks or strokes. In light of this blood curdling synopsis Novo got a dishonorable mention. Novo Nordisk professes to operate their company in two parts: biopharmaceuticals and Diabetes Care. The Diabetes Care segment provides insulin analogues, human insulin and insulin-related products, and oral antidiabetic drugs.

The cross examination of the C-peptide disappearing act and mysterious insulin auto-antibodies appearing where they shouldn't is just getting started. Thanks for making them sweat, Cramer!

Fair and balanced, just like Fox News -- I want to let everyone know that the "Matt P" I spoke to, at the ADA responded to my blog about the aforementioned conversation. His response is #17 and it is sincere and genuine -- certifiable in my book. Again, let me reiterate that the nature of my call to the ADA was to ask for their assistance in getting a big pharmaceutical company to sponsor C-peptide FDA trials here in the US. Thanks again to Matt. He really is doing all he can, but there seems to be a suspicious roadblock holding up the research here in the US. Any guesses? Without further adieu, here's Matt:

I hope people will take time to read my reply to yesterday's post about ADA and c-peptide. I work for ADA, and I was the "Matt P" who talked to Allie a week or two ago.

I certainly wouldn't\'t discourage you from calling our 800-DIABETES number, but I think you should consider why we have an 800 number and what the staff of our Call Center are trained to do. Their primary goal is to help people with basic questions about taking care of diabetes. They have very little information about what research is going on in diabetes, because that information does not yet have any relevance for the vast majority of people who need the help of our Call Center. Callers are primarily concerned about nutrition, help with paying for medications, and information about complications. The staff does try to take care of callers who want to give guidance to ADA on things like research and legislative priorities, but their primary focus is on providing immediate, direct advice about diabetes management to people who can't get it any other way.

Again, please read my other reply. Guys, diabetes is awful, everyone who works at ADA thinks so and of course so do all of you. We would all sincerely like to see effective treatments come into our hands immediately, but I'm afraid that there is almost nothing ADA can do to change the basic nature of the research process or the drug approval process. Despite recent promising research results regarding c-peptide, there's no way the FDA would approve it as a therapy for diabetes complications until more research is done to precisely define what it does and how well and how safely it does it.

Could industry do more? Probably, although we don't know exactly what they\'re doing now---please see my other post. We live in free society where people and companies don't always have to tell you what they're doing. If you want my pledge to talk to people at Lilly and Novo about the potential promise of c-peptide, you have it.

By all means, call them yourself. I'm afraid our Call Center staff, who do an incredible job with handling a huge number of calls from a lot of desperate people, aren't going to be able to do much to address an issue that is still at the research stage.

Sincerely,

Matt

It is with great pleasure that I have the opportunity to blog about someone I consider to be a first string player in the sport of diabetes. Her name is Kerri, and her position is all over the place! Yes, you read that correctly. Kerri is a trifecta of talent. She currently works as an editorial assistant for dLife, where she writes a monthly column, "Generation D." She also finds time to contribute as a co-editor for EXIST Magazine, an online resource of CNN news with an MTV voice. You might recognize her co-editor (who is also her ever-supportive boyfriend) Chris Sparling. But the main event that drew my attention to Kerri was her blog, Six Until Me.

She started SUM in May of 2005 after Googling "diabetes" and finding not much more than a list of complications and the American Diabetes Association website. She was one of the pioneering blogs in the diabetes community. When she first set it up, SUM was one of 5. Nowadays you'll find more than 150 diabetes blogs out there in cyberspace. SUM has become reassurance for Kerri that she is not alone in dealing with diabetes. Having that kind of reassurance means the world to her, as I'm sure it does for those of us reading. Kerri puts her heart and soul into SUM and I invite any of you who spend a few minutes there to prove me wrong.

Throughout her twenty-something years of experience as a type 1 diabetic, Kerri insightfully shares her tricks of the trade in diabetes management. Grab a pen because this girl knows what she's talking about! First, she says to test often. Yes ma'am. You can't argue logic and that seems to be the only avenue open these days to tight control. Her second suggestion is just as important, but far more effective: personal forgiveness. Kerri says: diabetes is a very psychological disease... There is no such thing as a perfect diabetic. But you can be one that tries your best. Don't do yourself the disservice of calling certain foods "bad," because you don't deserve that. If your management takes a tumble, dust yourself off, forgive yourself, and move on. Life is too short to be saddled with guilt. Kerri, your words epitomize the emotional exuberance we all need to withstand diabetes. You inspire me. You share your wisdom in ways that make me proud to have you along for the ride on the D-train. That alone, should win you the Diabetes OC Awards, for which you have been nominated. Good Luck and congratulations on your ever-growing success!

In a new report from CNN, it's being predicted that drug companies Merck and Novartis are about to "lock horns." That is, they're both developing two similar diabetes drugs, both of which have the potential to have a groundbreaking impact on the market. In addition, both these drugs are now under review by the US Food and Drug Administration. The result? Analysts are saying these giant companies could be drawn into a fight for dominance of the diabetes drug market.

Merck is the second biggest drug manufacturer in the US, and is developing the drug Januvia. The Swiss company Novartis has been making great inroads into the US market in recent years, and hopes to introduce a similar drug called Galvus. Both drugs are designed to lower blood sugar in Type 2 diabetics. Says market analyst Jon LeCroy, "You really have two products battling it out. The question is: who's the winner and who's taking second share?"