Diabetes Insights - Breakthroughs and Innovators

In this episode, members of the EASD Global Council, Dr. Fawaz Alzaid and Dr. Banshi Saboo, share their perspectives on the global challenges of diabetes, highlighting how regional differences shape both risk and care. From the Middle East to South Asia, they explore how factors such as climate, diet, and socioeconomic conditions influence diabetes prevalence and outcomes.

The discussion delves into unique population-specific characteristics, including the “thin-fat” phenotype seen in India, the impact of extreme heat on physical activity in the Middle East, and the role of high-carbohydrate diets across Asia. The speakers also reflect on the importance of global collaboration, data sharing, and inclusive research to better understand diabetes across diverse populations.

Join us to learn how international partnerships, emerging technologies and a deeper understanding of regional differences are helping to shape the future of diabetes prevention and care worldwide.

In this episode, leading experts Dr. Daniela Liśkiewicz and Dr. Juan Pablo Frías explore the rapidly evolving landscape of anti-obesity medications.

From the rise of GLP-1-based therapies and oral treatments to next-generation multi-agonists, this discussion highlights how innovation is transforming obesity care. The conversation moves beyond weight loss alone, focusing on treatment quality, long-term weight maintenance, and patient-centred outcomes.

The speakers also examine emerging therapeutic targets, the importance of preserving muscle mass, and the growing role of lifestyle interventions alongside pharmacotherapy. Looking ahead, they share insights into future directions, from resetting metabolic “set points” to improving global access to treatment.

In this episode, leading experts Maciej T. Małecki, Norbert Hermanns and Dominic Ehrmann explore the essential role of clinical psychology in diabetes care.

Living with diabetes, particularly type 1 diabetes, requires constant decision-making and places a significant psychological burden on individuals and their families. From diabetes distress and depression to fear of hypoglycaemia, mental health challenges can directly impact glycaemic control and quality of life.

This discussion highlights why clinical psychologists must be integrated into multidisciplinary diabetes teams, the need for specialised “diabetes psychologists,” and how education, guidelines and policy change can help address current gaps in care.

In this episode, we explore the rapidly evolving world of scientific publishing and the challenges facing researchers today, featuring insights from Diabetologia Editor in Chief Prof. Hindrik Mulder, Maria Hodges, Past EASD Early Career Member Pierre Larraufie and Annette Schürmann.

From the rise of predatory journals and paper mills to the growing influence of artificial intelligence, the landscape is becoming increasingly complex.

Our experts discuss how open access has reshaped publishing, why peer review remains essential, and the pressures placed on early career researchers navigating where and how to publish. They also explore the limitations of impact factors, the risks of fraudulent data, and the urgent need for new ways to evaluate scientific contribution.

Join us for a timely conversation on how the research community can safeguard quality, transparency, and trust in science and what the future of publishing might look like.

In this episode, Prof. Chantal Mathieu and Prof. Francesco Dotta discuss two major European clinical trials presented at the EASD Annual Meeting: MELD-ATG and VERA-T1D.

Both studies were conducted through the INNODIA consortium, a large European collaboration aimed at identifying biomarkers and testing new disease-modifying therapies for type 1 diabetes.

The VERA-T1D trial investigated verapamil, a long-established cardiovascular drug, for its potential to preserve beta cell function after diagnosis. While the study narrowly missed its primary endpoint, the results provide important insights into disease heterogeneity and future combination therapies.

The MELD-ATG trial used an innovative adaptive trial design to identify an effective low dose of anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG), showing that a single low-dose infusion may help delay beta-cell decline in newly diagnosed patients.

Together, these studies highlight the rapid progress being made in type 1 diabetes research and the growing move toward precision medicine approaches.