Diabetes UK 2025 Preview  – February 11 2025

Diabetes UK 2025 takes place at the end of February in Scotland’s most populous city, Glasgow. See the agenda, registration, and our coverage from 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019, 2018, 2017,  2016, 2015, 2014, 2011, and 2010. All times below are in GMT.

Wednesday, February 26

• (9 – 10:40 am): Transforming diabetes care: National perspective on hybrid closed loop implementation and equity. Diabetes UK will open with a symposium on the UK’s efforts to expand equitable access to AID systems. As a reminder, NICE’s landmark recommendations on AID use for people with T1D were published at the end of 2023, with a phased five-year rollout ongoing. Dr. Dita Aswani (Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, UK) will present an interim report on the successes and challenges so far in the rollout of diabetes technology from NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) program, a data-driven approach to reviewing and improving patient care. Prof. Partha Kar (NHS England, UK) will discuss disparities in technology access and the NHS’s efforts to address them, and Prof. Brian Kennon (Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, UK) will focus specifically on Scotland’s historical work to support universal AID access. Beyond technology for T1D, Dr. Charlotte Boughton (University of Cambridge, UK) will also review the literature on pump and AID use in T2D – no AID systems have received regulatory approval for T2D outside the US, although Omnipod 5 has received FDA approval for T2D.
• (11:20 – 11:50 am): Banting Memorial Lecture. Prof. Jonathan Valabhji’s (Imperial College London, UK) keynote address “Aligning clinical practice, policy and research” will chronicle his clinical, academic, and policy career in diabetes and obesity. Prof. Valabhji has been at the forefront of diabetes and obesity care in the UK for over three decades, including as NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Diabetes and Obesity from 2013 to 2023. In this role, he spearheaded the implementation of the NHS Diabetes Prevention Program, including digital programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently as NHS England’s National Clinical Lead for Multiple Long-Term Conditions, Prof. Valabhji is also leading efforts to assess the program’s impact on the incidence of related comorbidities. In his presentation, we anticipate he will describe the barriers encountered in developing this program as well as its major achievements in improving population health. For more on Prof. Valabhji’s esteemed career, see his profile article in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology by Ms. Talha Burki published in November 2023.
• (11:50 am – 1:20 pm): Preparing the UK for early detection and treatment of T1D. In this early afternoon session, several speakers will highlight the progress in the early detection and treatment of T1D in the UK. Prof. Parth Narendran (University of Birmingham, UK) will provide updates on screening efforts for T1D, especially given the importance of identifying the early stages of T1D and transforming management with early intervention. We imagine he will elaborate on several studies implemented in the UK, including the ELSA study on children (aged between three and 13 years) and theT1DRA study on adults (aged 18 and 70 years). Dr. Rachel Besser (University of Oxford, UK) will then explain management procedures for detected T1D through screening, following a consensus document published in ADA’s Diabetes Care for monitoring people for early-stage T1D identified through screening. Prof. Colin Dayan (Cardiff University, UK) will present on delaying the need for insulin, emphasizing that optimal approaches to managing T1D and delaying insulin dependence will vary depending on individual needs. Dr. Kimber Simmons (University of Colorado, US) will end the session with a presentation on real-world experience with Tzield (teplizumab), the first and only approved treatment for delaying T1D. We’re curious to hear any updates on her experience treating patients with Tzield, following her presentation at ISPAD 2024, where she explained there have been 373 prescriptions and 322 infusions of Tzield since its approval in November 2022.

Thursday, February 27

• (2 – 3:30 pm): Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge: Progress and impact. In this afternoon symposium, Mr. Liam Eaglestone (CEO, Steve Morgan Foundation) and Prof. Simon Heller (University of Sheffield, UK) will highlight the mission of the T1D Grand Challenge, a funding collaborative initiative aimed at T1D research has impacted the space with several advancements. Ms. Rachel Connor (Director of Research Partnerships, Breakthrough T1D UK) and Ms. Elizabeth Robertson (Director of Research, Diabetes UK) will then provide significant progress and updates that the T1D Grand Challenge has contributed to the space. Most recently, in December 2024, the T1D Grand Challenge launched new funding to address the limited availability of stem cell-derived beta cells for research. Several panelists will also provide updates on beta cell therapy translational and innovation grants, which include strategies for new approaches to making beta cells ready for transplantation, protecting beta cells from immune attack, and regrowing beta cells inside the pancreas. There will also be updates on novel insulin innovation grants, which include projects on developing ultra-fast-acting insulin that reduces the risk of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. Other projects include a novel mixture of insulin and glucagon, along with glucose-responsive insulin delivery systems. We’re interested to hear more about progress on projects T1D Grand Challenge is funding to propel toward better treatment and cures for T1D, especially given 19 ground-breaking research projects are underway across 47 institutes supporting cutting-edge research.  
• (4:45 – 6:15 pm): Challenges in tackling type 2 diabetes in children and young adults. We’ll tune into a symposium focused on identifying best practices for managing youth-onset T2D, including treatment options and psychological impact. Previous studies, including TODAY2, SEARCH, and RISE, characterized youth-onset T2D as an aggressive pathophysiology with early onset and rapid progression of diabetes-related complications – underscoring the need for effective glycemic and psychosocial intervention. Ms. Wendy Frost (Worthing Hospital, UK), a pediatric dietitian, will discuss the beneficial effects of exercise for glycemic health in youth and provide recommendations on incorporating regular activity into diabetes management. We’ll also hear from the Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust’s Mr. David Marsh and Mr. Bernardo Pezo, who will discuss their experiences as youth workers to support children and young adults with T2D, highlighting unmet psychosocial needs in this population. Ms. Stacey Mcintyre (NHS Wales) will conclude the symposium by analyzing the role of nurses to effectively support diabetes care in this population.
• (4:45 – 6:00 pm): Managing multiple conditions and diabetes. This session will focus on how the field can focus more on a cardiorenal metabolic approach to understanding and managing multiple comorbidities. From a primary care perspective, Dr. Vasa Gnanapragasam (Wide Way Medical Center, UK) will highlight the integrated approach of regularly monitoring vital health measures like blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, and kidney function. We imagine Dr. Gnanapragasam will emphasize the importance of early detection and treatment of complications, especially with patient education and coordination among specialists. Dr. Lisa Anderson (HCA Healthcare, UK) will then present from a specialist cardiac perspective, offering insights into addressing hypertension, heart failure, and mortality rates, especially with CVD, among people with diabetes. Dr. Debasish Banerjee (St. George’s University Hospital, UK) will end the session with a presentation from a renal perspective, spotlighting the importance of the management and detection of kidney function to reduce the risks of renal failure. 

Friday, February 28

• *NEW* (8:30 – 9:30 am): The rising challenge: youth-onset type 2 diabetes. The final day of Diabetes UK 2025 will open with discussion on the factors driving the increasing prevalence of early-onset T2D in the UK. As background, a Diabetes UK report published in May 2024 found a nearly 40% increase in the number of people younger than 40 years who were diagnosed with T2D in the UK from 2016-2017 to 2022-2023. Dr. Shivani Misra (Imperial College London, UK) will begin the symposium by analyzing the epidemiology of young-onset T2D. Dr. Misra, who also presented on this topic at Diabetes UK 2024, contributed to the development of the T2DAY initiative, which seeks to provide more intensive and targeted care for early-onset T2D. Dr. Tahseen Chowdhury (Barts Health NHS Trust, UK) will then contemplate whether food insecurity and ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption are driving increased prevalence, identifying potential opportunities for intervention. The famed Prof. Kamlesh Khunti (University of Leicester, UK) will close the symposium by proposing evidence-based solutions to address disparities in outcomes in early-onset T2D.
• (12:20 – 1 pm): Dorothy Hodgkin Lecture. Prof. Inês Barroso (University of Exeter) will be delivering the Diabetes UK 2025 Dorothy Hodgkin Lecture on genetic discoveries and clinical applications. Prof. Barroso has extensive research experience in both monogenic and polygenic diseases, including T2D, obesity, and rare forms of diseases like childhood-onset obesity. She also led the Meta-Analysis of Glucose and Insulin-related traits Consortium (MAGIC), contributing to the discovery of most genetic loci known to affect glycemic levels. See here for her recent publications in this field, including “SMIM1 absence is associated with reduced energy expenditure and excess weight” published on Cell in September 2024. We are excited to learn more about how genetics impact the etiology and pathogenesis of diabetes and obesity and potentially serve as clinical targets.
• (2:15 – 3:45 pm): Islet transplantation. Dr. Peter Senior (University of Alberta, Canada) will begin the session with a presentation on immunosuppression “free cell therapies” for T1D. Given the risks and complications with immunosuppression, Dr. Senior will emphasize novel treatment strategies to reduce or eliminate the need for immunosuppression. To further support this effort, Prof. Shareen Forbes (University of Edinburgh, UK) will highlight cell therapies in T1D, which we imagine will include discussions on stem cell-derived beta cells, islet transplantation, and novel encapsulation techniques designed to protect transplanted cells from immune attack. Of note, Vertex’s VX-264 program of stem cell-derived islets with an encapsulation device, is enrolling and dosing participants in a phase 1/2 trial (n=17), with results expected in 2025. Vertex is also progressing a hypoimmune program evaluating gene-edited stem cell-derived islets to reduce the need for immunosuppressants, in collaboration with CRISPR Therapeutics in preclinical trials. Dr. Vicky Salem (Imperial College London, UK) will conclude the session by exploring advancements in developing better beta cells for transplantation in T1D. We’re curious about Dr. Salem’s insights on establishing long-term solutions for T1D management through enhancing beta cell survival, reducing immunosuppression, and improving transplantation outcomes.
• (2:15 – 3:45 pm): How might technology benefit those with type 2 diabetes and other types of diabetes? This closing symposium will examine the potential benefits and limitations of technology use in emerging populations and settings, including T2D, chronic kidney disease (CKD), hospitals, and cystic fibrosis-related diabetes. Dr. Emma Wilmot (University of Nottingham, UK) will open the session by proposing clinical pearls for technology use in T2D, which will be followed by Ms. Deepa Patel’s (London North West Healthcare NHS Trust, UK) presentation on the effective implementation of CGM in people with T2D and CKD. Dr. Hood Thabit (Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, UK) will address challenges for inpatient technology use. We expect Dr. Thabit will once again emphasize the importance of optimizing clinical workflows to accommodate CGM integration like at EASD 2024. Finally, Dr. Charlotte Boughton will discuss AID’s utility for managing cystic fibrosis-related diabetes.

­-- by Andrew Goyette, Esther Min, Monica Oxenreiter, and Kelly Close