Lack of long-term funding could threaten diabetes research
Two diabetes research programs have received short-term funding patches of $37.5 million each to continue operating through March 31, but several groups are warning the lack of permanent funding could stall innovation and delay new research which could help the more than 100 million Americans who have diabetes or prediabetes.
The two programs given short-term funding by lawmakers are the Special Diabetes Program, which researches type 1 diabetes, and the Special Diabetes Program for Indians, created in 1997 in response to the high rate of diabetes among American Indians and Alaska Natives.
“The (Special Diabetes Program) needs to be fully funded in order to move new research forward,” Cynthia Rice, senior vice president of advocacy and policy for JDRF, which funds type 1 diabetes research, told The Hill.
“Essentially, right now, the National Institutes of Health can fund $37.5 million in research, but they have a portfolio of potential research, which is so promising, to deliver new therapies and new technologies to people with Type 1 diabetes that they can’t fund.”
Meanwhile, the uncertainty over the Special Diabetes Program for Indians has caused some tribes’ programs to send furlough notices to staff, with potential layoffs coming, if additional funding doesn’t come through, according to The Hill.
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Daniel joined TriMed’s Chicago editorial team in 2017 as a Cardiovascular Business writer. He previously worked as a writer for daily newspapers in North Dakota and Indiana.