Op-ed by Breakthrough T1D Chief Global Advocacy Officer Lynn Starr
In my role as Chief Global Advocacy Officer, I lead an incredibly talented and dedicated team based in Washington, D.C., to support our mission—accelerating life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent, and better treat type 1 diabetes (T1D) and its complications.
The Advocacy team has many functions, all in pursuit of driving our mission progress forward faster. Some examples:
- We work with regulatory agencies around the world to establish roadmaps for approvals of advanced therapies.
- We advocate for insulin affordability so anyone who needs it can access the lifesaving medication they need at a reasonable, predictable price.
- We work with insurance payers to ensure there’s coverage for treatments.
- We push for government funding for T1D research.
The team works tirelessly in pursuit of our mission—a mission that’s deeply personal to me. I’ve lived with T1D for 36 years, and my daughter was diagnosed just last year. I’ve personally benefited from the relentless work of this organization, and it’s amazing that we’ve come so far. From automated insulin delivery systems to continuous glucose monitors, the daily management of this disease today would be unrecognizable to me 36 years ago. These advances have made my life, my daughter’s life, and the lives of so many in our community so much better. But the work is not done! Life with T1D remains extremely challenging and requires constant attention and vigilance.
We know this at Breakthrough T1D, and we’re dedicated to pushing further and speeding life-changing breakthroughs. We have many tools in our toolbox as we do this work. One of our power tools is the voice of our grassroots volunteer army of advocates. They are determined champions of our cause. Our grassroots advocates amplify our policy positions on a wide range of issues. In particular, this community voice in support of U.S. government funding for T1D research through the Special Diabetes Program (SDP) has been critical.
The SDP is the U.S. Federal program created in 1997 to fund T1D research through the National Institutes of Health. It’s currently funded at $160 million annually and has contributed nearly $3.5 billion (!) to T1D research since its creation. Breakthrough T1D funds significant amounts towards T1D research ($2.5 billion to date), but we can’t do this alone. We need the SDP funding, too.
The SDP funding has had a direct hand in so many T1D advances, such as automated insulin delivery systems and the first disease-modifying therapy to delay T1D onset. These simply would not have happened without the SDP. And, with the promise of cell therapies, increased research funding is crucial.
The SDP is set to expire at the end of the year. We cannot let that happen! We’re working hard to push forward not just for an extension of the SDP, but also an increase in its funding.
Can you join our advocacy army and help us power forward? It’s incredibly simple: sign up to be an advocate and take action when we email you to ask. Just look for emails from Breakthrough T1D and click through to our action alert, where you’ll be asked to contact your Members of Congress urging support for the SDP.
That’s it—it’s really that easy. It’s also that important.
I’m honored to lead Breakthrough T1D’s advocacy efforts on behalf of the T1D community, and I am so thankful for all the support we’ve received to help drive our mission forward. Especially during National Diabetes Awareness Month, let’s make sure all our voices are heard!
In it to end it,
Lynn Starr
Chief Global Advocacy Officer
