DCB Newsletter #11: Looking back – our milestones in 2022

Quality & HR

• We have continued to grow – all open positions were successfully filled, that means 9 new team members were recruited in 2022.  
• We implemented a document management system. Also, we implemented and certified the relevant processes for the DCB Management System according to ISO 9001. The audit went great and they reported zero findings!  

Innovation & Business Development

• Oh yes, we did innovate and develop our business in 2022! The team evaluated >200 ideas, proposals, and applications. Several dozen projects/startups were supported by DCB: With expertise, access to our network, facilities, and funding.
• The DCB Open Innovation Challenge was again a huge success! 66 applications from 22 different countries helped grow the vibrant DiabetesTech community and resulted in the six final projects from Denmark, France, Australia, Germany and the U.S. Our highlight, the DCB Start-Up Night & Award Ceremony took place on 30 November, where the jury selected the two winners: Ole Kjerkegaard Nielsen with GO-Pen ApS from Denmark (Category Diabetes Devices) and Pascal Grimm with Una Health from Germany (Category Digital Diabetes).

Clinical & Data

• First clinical study terminated: Our first clinical study has been conducted at the Universitätsklinik für Diabetologie, Endokrinologie, Ernährungsmedizin& Metabolismus (UDEM), Berne, Switzerland and Institut für Diabetes-Technologie (IfDT), Ulm, Germany. For this study, for an insulin pump manufacturer, we were responsible for the whole clinical process from clinical study plan writing, EC submission, material supply, site monitoring, data cleaning and analyzing to the study report writing.  
• The secure web-based EDC system, REDCap, deployed: With the support of iSolutions and the IT department of the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine of the University of Bern, REDCap, a secure web-based EDC system, has been deployed into a Cloud Environment (PaaS). DCB will use REDCap for the collection of data from various clinical trials and medical registries.  
• Clinical / Data teams grew: Five new employees, Stefanie Hossmann, Constance Bischoff, Dr. Stefanie Hofer, Dominique Rubi and Aritz Lizoain joined DCB and brought their expertise, experience and good mood to the Clinical and Data Teams.  
• 3 internships successfully finished:  

Laura Burlando conducted a systematic review on the effect of the menstrual cycle on diabetes management for her master’s in eHealth at the University of Lucerne.  

Aritz Lizoain performed data analysis of in-vitro glucose measurements and contributed to the development of a continuous glucose monitoring sensor to complete his master’s in statistics at the University of Neuchâtel.  

Katja Kilcher did a qualitative research project with regards to global regulations and requirements for electronic Consent processes.  

• FibreGum starts for recruitment: The clinical study FibreGum, under the supervising of Prof. Maria Luisa Balmer, started for recruitment at the Children Clinic Berne. The study will assess the effect of an additive in a chewing gum on body weight loss. 105 adolescents and young adults, treated at the weight management department, will be included over 2 years.  

Associated research group of Prof. Dr. phil. Lilian Witthauer

• The samlab (sensing & monitoring lab) has successful initiated the moonwalk pilot study where they investigate the relationship beween nocturnal hypogycemia symptoms and sleep  
• The samlab has built up their optical lab and in now ready to perform cutting edge research  

Thank you, dear readers for your loyalty and interest throughout the year! We will continue to provide you with new series, inside stories and regular updates in 2023. All the best and till soon!?