Diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at age 13, Drew experienced first-hand the lack of an app that could support his needs during his hospital stay. Instead of waiting for a solution, he decided to create one himself. Within only a few months after its launch in the App Store, his app had already been downloaded more than 45,000 times.

However, because it did not meet the requirements for medical devices, the app had to be removed until FDA clearance could be obtained.

This is where Diabetes Center Berne (DCB) became involved. Together with Drew and his family, and in collaboration with Comerge AG (Zurich), we worked to rebuild and document the app according to regulatory standards. The joint effort of the Mendelow family, Comerge, and our team led to the successful preparation and submission for FDA review.

Almost three years later, the outcome is extraordinary: Drew has received FDA clearance for his T1D1 App. This achievement marks a historic milestone – the first regulated, over-the-counter insulin calculator medical device, with the youngest inventor ever to be part of such an approval.

At DCB, we are proud to have supported this journey from initial idea to official approval. It is an example of how we foster innovation, empower inventors, and help accelerate solutions that directly improve lives.
This is not only Drew’s success – it is also a model for how innovation in diabetes technology can thrive when supported by the right ecosystem. Drew’s journey demonstrates that impactful solutions can emerge directly from the community of people living with diabetes, and that with the right support, innovation truly has the power to change lives.

DCB at EASD 2025

The EASD Annual Meeting is an excellent opportunity to stay up to date with recent developments in the diabetes field. The programme features groundbreaking basic research, cutting-edge clinical trial results and in-depth expert debates. Meet with colleagues from around the world and be part of the key discussions that will shape the future of diabetes research and care.

We will be present with different members of our team from different divisions at booth D3.09. Additionally, members of our Lived Experience Panel will also be attending. We are looking forward to attending insightful Scientific sessions, exploring new innovative solutions and above all: networking with, you!

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to explore the Innovation Zone, where visionary startups showcase their ideas. Meet the innovators in person and discover the future!

You can meet these startup packed with innovative ideas and products: 

• SNAQ App supports diabetes management by analyzing meals counting nutrients, connecting glucose sensors & sharing insights.
• Glucotrack empowers people with diabetes through non-invasive, accurate & easy-to-use monitoring solutions that make daily management simpler & more effective.
• Syntactiq is an AI-powered platform that accelerates diabetes research by collecting comprehensive, consented patient data & transforming it into actionable insights.
• Diabetotech is a nonprofit e-learning platform offering accredited courses in 30 languages on diabetes technology to keep professionals & people with diabetes certified & up to date.
• Fada medical is developing a novel drug diffusion technology to increase the wear time & performance of a cannula to support consistent long term insulin pump use for people with diabetes.
• Digital Oxygen is a healthcare consultancy helping digital health & MedTech companies achieve market access & successful commercialization in Germany.
• Glucube is a non-invasive device that measures blood glucose through the skin & sends real-time results to a smartphone, with cloud storage, alerts & an easy dashboard.
• Alva Innovations has developed a just-in-time filtration platform that removes insulin fibrils during pump therapy, thereby prolonging the lifespan of pump sets & maintaining healthy skin.
• T1D Scout provides the first fully remote Type 1 diabetes screening, letting families check genetic & antibody risk from home with expert guidance.
• YM MEMS MicroPump offers a highly integrated, accurate & secure technology for insulin infusion, empowering the miniaturization & intelligent precision control for insulin pump.
• GlucoSet develops a minimally invasive, real-time glucose sensor that connects to existing arterial catheters in ICUs. Offering accurate continuous monitoring with fast setup & low cost.
• Diabetes Venture Fund backs global startups in diabetes & related complications, offering unique support through Serpentine Ventures & the Diabetes Center Berne.
• PercuSense’s continuous multi-analyte sensor system combines monitoring of multiple biosensors with knowledge of how diseases & illness progress to intelligently & recommend treatment.
• diateam is an academic innovation platform advancing digital diabetes technology through events, research & annual surveys on digital applications in diabetes care.
• GO-Pen® is the first FDA-cleared reusable insulin pen with user-filled reservoir, built for the 20+ million people worldwide still using syringes for daily injections.

Meet our Top 5!

After a thorough review of 54 remarkable submissions for our Open Innovation Challenge, 15 promising teams were invited to present their ideas live at our Pitch Day.

Following an exciting day of pitches and innovation, we are thrilled to announce the 5 finalists who impressed the jury and secured their place in this year’s exclusive bootcamp and a chance to shine at our awards event.

We encourage you to discover the full profiles of our top 5 innovators in the attached PDF or down below!

Join us in celebrating their incredible journey, and secure your ticket for the Day of Innovation to witness the finale in person: https://lnkd.in/dH-8n3v5