So, I knew that Al Mann was the inspirational person behind the formulation of Affrezza. What I didn’t know is that he has been behind many of the innovations that we use today… I had no idea he founded MiniMed and came up with the first implantable insulin pump.
I think in this day and age I tend to get cynical and think all medical advances are dictated by a profit/loss spreadsheet in some pharma company’s headquarters. It’s nice to know there are (or were) people out there, like Mann, who were driven by a vision and a desire to make things better.
Anyone else out there know of other diabetes researchers who are really pushing the boundaries on what’s possible?
I don’t know any interesting diabetes researchers, but as you look at major (visionary) inventions you will usually find a small cadre of very innovative people that made the changes. Unfortunately, history is littered with visionaries that didn’t benefit from their inventions, and it is usually the business person that takes (steals?) the invention that really profits. Al Mann is a good example of someone who has been able to profit while keeping his visionary skills. Lots of interesting stories out there.
This is the way to do it. It makes such a difference that it isn’t even the same as any current pump. Technically it is possible, but fear and regulations get in the way.
Al Mann was a once in a lifetime genius. I had a few minutes to speak with him in 1980 on the CSUN campus in Northridge where he planted Mini Med. If I could have only understood the concepts he was trying to explain to me.
AL pretty much self funded the development of afrezza out of his own pocket (over a billion dollars of his personal fortunes) knowing full well that he’d never see any return on that investment
That’s part of why I get so passionate about it and frustrated when trolls and stock shorters try to badmouth and discredit it, and when industry rivals attempt to sabotage it… this was a billionaire philanthropists dying wish, to leave the world with this near-miracle
Not really a “diabetes researcher” or a person like Al Mann, but the folks behind the #wearenotwaiting movement are like this in my mind.
I am thinking people like Dana Lewis, Scott Leibrand of openAPS and Milos Kozak of AndroidAPS and JamOrHam of xdrip+ fame - as well as all of the other nameless contributors, who use their spare time to develop applications that benefit most of us and have driven the bigger diabetes companies (like Dexcom) to do better things with their products.
These people in their spare time (unless they are getting paid in the background ) develop this software and yes, they may be motivated by making their loved one’s lives better but still they are not getting paid for this.
I see time an time again people saying - “you are wasting your time developing this stupid software - more effort should be put into a cure” but those people just don’t get it - I want to be cured eventually, but I want to be comfortable while I wait for the cure.
) develop this software and yes, they may be motivated by making their loved one’s lives better but still they are not getting paid for this.