Leadership Message

In Research…

Results of a JDRF-funded study show that an immunotherapy drug called teplizumab can delay the onset of T1D for more than three years in those at high risk of developing the condition, providing renewed hope that we will soon be able to fully prevent the onset of this disease. JDRF Canada continues to partner with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) through the Partnership to Defeat Diabetes, and this year announced two new funding opportunities: one in which JDRF Canada will invest $3M CDN in two teams driving stem cell-based therapies for T1D, and a second in which JDRF Canada will contribute up to $3.5M CDN to fund up to four grants focused on developing various approaches to prevent, treat or cure T1D. Importantly, every dollar that JDRF invests, is matched through this partnership by CIHR, doubling our impact.

Preliminary results from clinical trials reveal that encapsulated implants of donor islets or stem cell-derived islets are producing insulin in people with T1D. With this advancement now in hand, we now need to determine how to protect these islets from immune system attack.

In 2019, Health Canada approved several new technologies to help better manage T1D, including the Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitor (CGM). Thanks largely to JDRF’s international research and advocacy efforts, we are set to see more devices become accessible to those who need them – devices that will reduce T1D management burden and improve patient outcomes.

The JDRF T1D Fund, a mission-driven venture philanthropy fund, grew its portfolio, seeing Vertex Pharmaceuticals make a landmark investment in research with the acquisition of T1D-focused Semma Therapeutics, which uses biotechnology for the creation of transformative medicines for people with life-threatening diseases. The goal of this exciting acquisition is to develop curative cell-based treatments for T1D. Created in 2015, the JDRF T1D Fund helps accelerate growth by investing in companies developing T1D products.

We continued to support the training of the next generation of researchers, which included two pioneering Canadian investigators pursuing careers in research focused on curing T1D. They are leading this work through their research in beta cell replacement and immunological assays. They were each awarded a new post-doctoral fellowship, thanks to a longstanding partnership between Eli Lilly Canada Inc. (Lilly Canada) and JDRF Canada. These young investigators bring the total number of postdoctoral fellows currently supported by JDRF in Canada to 11!

In Advocacy…

JDRF launched the #AccessForAll campaign to push for accessible coverage of advanced glucose monitoring technologies for everyone across the country. The provinces of Ontario and Quebec now publicly fund flash glucose monitoring systems and JDRF continues to press provinces and territories to cover both flash glucose monitoring and continuous glucose monitoring for all Canadians living with T1D.

In Community Engagement…

The Boston Pizza Foundation Future Prospects Award Program for JDRF provided grants to 21 aspiring leaders living with the T1D to help alleviate the financial burden of post-secondary education.

JDRF Canada was founded in 1974 by families who – motivated by the need for change – banded together to create an organization devoted to research that would improve the health and quality of life of people with T1D.

As we have seen through the development of insulin, science can – and will – transform lives. Although not a cure, insulin gave patients a new lease on life and the chance to survive. It offered hope for a better future. And that is why JDRF will not stop until the next scientific discovery is made – one that will deliver a cure for T1D.

We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to you - all of our dedicated and passionate donors, volunteers and partners. We could not have come this far in 2019 without your support and generosity. With you by our side, each day we are getting closer to better treatments and cures for T1D.

2019 Board of Directors