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Episode 11: Omnipod 5 is Here! Everything You Need to Know with Jo Sader
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In this episode, Jacqui sits down with Jo Sader, Australian Manager at Insulet, the makers of the Omnipod, to discuss the long-awaited launch of Omnipod 5 in Australia. We dive into what this means for people living with Type 1 diabetes, how the system works, and how to access it.
🔗 Get Started with Omnipod
For those new to Omnipod, this is a great starting point! You can register for a Pod Experience Kit to try out the pod for yourself and/or request a call from an Omnipod Specialist for more information.
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Transcript
Introduction and Purpose
00:00:00
Speaker
The content provided in this podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
00:00:14
Speaker
Reliance on any information provided by this podcast is solely at your own risk.
Meet the Host and Guest
00:00:23
Speaker
Welcome to the Type 1 Club. Whether you're a parent grappling with a new diagnosis, a caregiver seeking guidance, or simply someone wanting to learn more about Type 1 diabetes, this podcast is for you.
00:00:36
Speaker
Together, let's dispel myths, break down barriers, and build a community of understanding and resilience. Join us as we embark on this journey together. because with knowledge, compassion and support, no one should ever feel alone in managing type 1 diabetes.
00:00:54
Speaker
Welcome to the Type 1 Club.
00:01:00
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Type 1 Club.
Omnipod 5 Announcement and Benefits
00:01:03
Speaker
i am your host, Jackie Kidman. I'm a mum to Harvey who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes back in June of 2022.
00:01:12
Speaker
So welcome back to the podcast. Today I have a very special guest with me. I have Jo Sader, who is the country manager from the makers of the Omnipod in Australia.
00:01:23
Speaker
Hi, Jo. Welcome. Thank you so much for having me, Jackie. So pleased to be here. It's very exciting times to have you on this podcast because as this is being released, there's also something that is being released in Australia. So that I know that there's lots of people waiting for this release.
00:01:40
Speaker
And we're obviously talking about the Omnipod 5. Let's not sort of, you know, kind of gatekeep that. i So Jo is going to share with us First of all, a little bit about Omnipod for those that are completely new to the pump world and what some of our options are when it comes to insulin delivery with type 1 diabetes.
00:01:59
Speaker
She's going to give us a bit of a history, some information about the launch that is coming very, very soon, and or maybe it's already been released as you're listening to
History and Features of Omnipod
00:02:08
Speaker
this. So it's very exciting to hear this firsthand from the experts in the field here.
00:02:14
Speaker
So welcome, Jo, and thank you very much. So we wanted to start off with just a little bit about Omnipod, the history of this device, and I guess how many people are currently using it.
00:02:27
Speaker
Yeah, thank you. So the Omnipod first made its debut into the world probably about 20 years ago with a really interesting story because the Omnipod was actually created by a dad, and this dad had a child, a three-year-old, who lived with type 1 diabetes.
00:02:47
Speaker
and he really felt that his son being on a tubed insulin pump was really holding him back. And this dad was an engineer and he decided, you know what, there's got to be a better way.
00:02:58
Speaker
And so from the beginning, it took him about five years and and then five years later, the first iteration of the Omnipod was born. And so i guess just a little bit about what is the Omnipod. You know, the Omnipod is an insulin pump.
00:03:14
Speaker
And for those who are new to an insulin pump, an insulin pump delivers continuous rapid acting insulin. And that covers both the long acting as well as the insulin that's required for food.
00:03:26
Speaker
So it's a more flexible delivery of insulin. It minimises the number of injections each day, so there's no more daily injections. And a pod is a small, wearable, waterproof device, and it can be worn anywhere that you would inject insulin. It's filled with insulin, and it lasts for up to three days.
00:03:46
Speaker
So that's what the Omnipod is, and we're absolutely excited because we're about to release the Omnipod 5 here in Australia from middle of March.
Integration with CGMs
00:03:56
Speaker
And I guess it is a really exciting time because the Omnipod is recognised as the number one insulin pump for users in Europe, as well as in the US as of 2023. And around the world, there's about 250,000 worldwide users of the Omnipod 5.
00:04:14
Speaker
Wow. So that's the Omnipod 5. So I'm sure that there is more that are just even just using the Omnipod as well, because I know that we've got the the one that in Australia that we currently use.
00:04:25
Speaker
Yes, so we we currently have the Omnipod Dash, but as I said, our newest flagship product is the Omnipod 5. It has all the benefits of our tubeless, waterproof, wearable pod, and it has an ability to discreetly bolus from a controller.
00:04:40
Speaker
So it has what's called the Smart Adjust Algorithm. built into the pod. So it takes a sense of value from a choice of CGMs. And to let you know that as um as of today, there are three sensors that have TGA approval with the Omnipod 5. That is the Dexcom G6.
00:05:01
Speaker
the Dexcom G7, as well as the Abbott Freestyle Libre 2+. So when we launch in the middle of March, the Dexcom G6 and G7 will work with the Omnipod
User Experience and Lifestyle Fit
00:05:15
Speaker
5 system. And then probably it will be a few weeks later that we will have the integration of the the Freestyle Libre 2+. But stay tuned for updates.
00:05:27
Speaker
um as to when that integration will come in. And so, as i was saying, the the sensor value integrates with the Omnipod 5 and it adjusts insulin delivery every five minutes to decrease highs and protect against lows for more time in range.
00:05:46
Speaker
That's amazing. I'll just go back to the founder's story. It's quite interesting having, for me, having a very active young boy. And I know that I think I shared this with you when we chatted last week, but every insulin pump that he has seen And, i we've you know, we've kind of gone through down down that path a little bit and had some conversations and he's just said, I'm not wearing that.
00:06:08
Speaker
I'm not wearing that. But when we saw the Omnipod and we've done a little sample, ah because I believe that you can get some little just samples that obviously don't pierce the skin, but just stick on there to see how they would wear it.
00:06:21
Speaker
was the only one that Harvey would actually wear, even though he only wore it for half a day. it was like, oh, yeah, okay, you know, you can get it off now. But we'll see what what happens for down the track. And I know that we've been contacted by the hospital and we will have the opportunity to do some training to see whether that's the road and the path that we go down. And I offer Harvey to have his own little independence with it, even though I know that it will be really beneficial but for me, being his mum.
00:06:53
Speaker
But... um we do offer Harvey to have that autonomy of do you want this or don't you want this? So he'll be part of that training and we'll see, fingers crossed, it works for us and we'll go down that path. So I can totally resonate with that dad story, except that I'm not an engineer, but I can understand that that has been my worry with the active sports and we spend a lot of time in water.
00:07:17
Speaker
I felt like he would probably have the pump off for majority versus, you know, help how often he would have it on. Absolutely. And Jackie, it's interesting you say that because we've asked every single potter why they chose the pod. And the number one reason is because it's tubeless. And we absolutely hear that so often that people don't want tubes and people want a choice.
00:07:39
Speaker
And so we're so delighted that the Omnipod 5 is here to to give people in Australia another choice.
Smart Adjust Algorithm Explained
00:07:46
Speaker
So we're saying mid-March, do you have an exact date?
00:07:50
Speaker
So from the 17th of March, it is widely available. And so just in terms of the process, so if you are interested in the Omnipod 5, Step one is to speak to your healthcare professional to determine, you know, is this a choice that's right for you?
00:08:07
Speaker
it is your healthcare professional who will support you with the order process as well as the onboarding process. So anyone who does go onto the Omnipod 5 will need to be trained by their healthcare professional and they'll also support you with all the paperwork um that that comes with that.
00:08:27
Speaker
So the Omnipod, is this is this actually been called The Loop? Is that another nickname for it? Because I've heard that. No, so the the the commercial name is the Omnipod 5 system um and it uses um an algorithm and that algorithm is known as Smart Adjust.
00:08:49
Speaker
um So that means that it will take a few pods to adapt to your personalized needs. it It moves with the history of your total daily dose. So as your needs change, so will the algorithm.
00:09:03
Speaker
And just to clarify for everyone, none of those components are interchangeable. So the Omnipod dashed uses what's called a PDM, and that's a controller, and that only will work with dash pods.
00:09:17
Speaker
With the Omnipod 5 system, the controller will only work with Omnipod 5 pods. So they're different pods. They look exactly the same, the same shape, and they last the same amount of time and all of that.
00:09:29
Speaker
um But they are two very unique, different systems. And we will keep the Omnipod Dash in the Australian market because we have a lot of patients who really, really love the Omnipod Dash system as well.
00:09:41
Speaker
So that's not going anywhere anytime soon. Oh, that's good that you're not going to phase it out. There's always so many... techie things that sometimes you're like, okay, i've just mastered that one. Why do I have to change this new one? And then and then the fear of, yeah, like do you have the headspace to learn if it's going to be slightly different?
00:10:00
Speaker
But also if something's working for them, they sort of sometimes feel like, why do I need to change it? So that's great that you you were allowing that option. So just going back on... Can you just explain to me, i have seen people have to have like a separate sort of, so like say I've got my phone that reads the CGM.
00:10:19
Speaker
Can I use the same phone or device to read the Omnipod? So, Insolite will give you a controller. So, it's a lockdown Android phone and that is what um basically start starts the pod. That is what you bowl us from.
00:10:37
Speaker
um It is a phone controller but you can't make phone calls or send text messages or anything like that. And so all of the operation of the pod is done from that controller.
00:10:47
Speaker
Okay. Yeah, you will need that controller for bolusing.
Access Pathways and Subscriptions
00:10:52
Speaker
You don't need it for the pod to be working. The pod will continue to give insulin without the controller there.
00:10:59
Speaker
The smart adjust algorithm is actually built onto the pod. So the pod is talking directly to your CGM provider um And so, again, you don't need the controller to to be there for that to be for that to be happening. You only need the controller for delivering Ebola's.
00:11:20
Speaker
Don't ignore the four. The four early warning signs of type 1 diabetes. Excessive thirst, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, and extreme fatigue. If you or someone you know is experiencing these symptoms, don't wait. Get checked by a healthcare care professional. Early detection and treatment are key to managing type 1 diabetes effectively.
00:11:46
Speaker
So that Android device, that that comes as part of the setup? Correct, yes. so I should have mentioned that. so So there's three components to the Omnipod 5 system. There is the pod, and the pod that gets worn on the body anywhere where you would deliver insulin. The controller, which as looks like a mobile phone, it's a lockdown Android phone, that is known as the controller, the Omnipod 5 controller. And then there is a CGM, right? And we talked about the three different CGMs that will talk to the Omnipod 5. So they are the three components that make up the Omnipod 5 system. Okay, awesome.
00:12:25
Speaker
Yep, that makes sense to me now. yeah And the SmarterJust algorithm, it lives on the pod. It's not on the controller. It is on the pod and that pod is talking directly to your CGM that is also being worn the body.
00:12:40
Speaker
Okay. So when you say the Smart Adjust, you're talking about that my my child's levels are all of a sudden going very high there's not enough, it seems like we haven't bolused enough insulin.
00:12:56
Speaker
Will it look at adjusting the like ah required amount of insulin levels to be given? So what it's doing is it's looking at the sense of value from the CGM now.
00:13:09
Speaker
It's also predicting what the CGM will do 60 minutes out. And based on all that information that it puts together, it will increase, decrease or pause insulin delivery.
00:13:22
Speaker
And it is continuously doing that around the clock. Now, part of, I guess, ah little another little swing for us in trying the Omnipod is that the way that this model can be, there's certain levels that you can purchase it in like a subscription base and stuff like that.
00:13:41
Speaker
Yeah. so what people really, really like about the Omnipod system is that there is an access pathway called a no lock in what we call pay as you pod. And so that means you can try it for a month,
00:13:56
Speaker
um with a no-lock-in monthly subscription and that you can do that outside of private health insurance because sadly in Australia, insulin pumps are really only available to people through gold-cover private health insurance.
00:14:10
Speaker
That means that a lot of people who don't have private health insurance do find it difficult to access insulin pumps. um And I just want to make a plug for the importance of and of the need for universal access because that's ah that is a theme right now which is very, very topical in the Type 1 community and Insulin Australia are ah certainly really, really supportive.
00:14:31
Speaker
of seeing that policy change along with the community. But what we've seen is that with our pay-as-you-pod access pathway, it means that for those who don't have private health insurance or just want to see if this is the therapy That will work for them.
00:14:47
Speaker
They can access it one month at a time. And ah for the Omnipod 5, what that means is it's $185 that is payable to Insulate Australia.
00:14:59
Speaker
They then head over to the ah to their NDSS pharmacy. and they can pick up their pods from the pharmacy as well as the NDSS co-payment for insulin pump consumables.
00:15:11
Speaker
And that's how they can access with a no-commitment subscription. And we find that over 70% of um our customers actually really prefer that pathway.
00:15:22
Speaker
But for those who do have private health insurance and who want to have the system completely covered through their private health insurance, Just like all other tubed insulin pumps in Australia, they can also access the Omnipod 5 through their private health insurance.
00:15:39
Speaker
um It is listed on the prescribed list. All the information around how to access that is all on the both the NDSS website with all the codes as well as the Omnipod Australia website as well.
00:15:53
Speaker
So that's great that it offers it to non-insured and insured and, you know, it gives people the options there. I would love an insight into what it what would it look like for, let's just use Harvey as an example because I always use him as an example, what would it look like for us two to go on to the Omnipod to start our journey with it?
00:16:16
Speaker
So, i mean, we've heard from the overseas experience that the transition is super easy with our onboarding process currently. it's It's super simple to start with the support of your healthcare professional and that's really important because the product is so simple.
00:16:30
Speaker
And from day one, you ah are able to have the algorithm working to protect you against those lows, which is really assuring when you're when you're coming from injections. Because it's tubeless, you never have to disconnect um and this is really important because it means that you're always connected to the automated insulin delivery.
00:16:50
Speaker
So it's protecting you from hypos um and you never have to disconnect unlike a tube pump. I also wanted to just share some insights from from our overseas experience.
00:17:02
Speaker
So not only do we study how our product works to improve what we call glycemic outcomes, but we also really measure how people feel when they're going onto the Omnipod 5.
00:17:15
Speaker
So looking at things like improvements in quality of life measures. And one of the key insights that we've observed is not only does the Omnipod 5 improve, you know, those really important three glycemic outcomes, so timing range, there's a reduction in A1c, and reduction in hypos.
00:17:35
Speaker
But we saw really meaningful improvements in both people living with
Quality of Life Improvements
00:17:40
Speaker
diabetes, as well as their caregivers, specifically around measures like diabetes distress, hyperglycemia confidence, and sleep and well-being improvements. And we think this is really important because in the world of living with diabetes, it can be very easy to just think it's all about numbers. But, um you know, for those living with the condition and their caregivers, they talk a lot about the burden of diabetes and how important quality of life is as well.
00:18:15
Speaker
And so I share that because they're actually some of the... um really, really big insights that we're hearing around the experience with Omnipod 5 from overseas. And we're really excited to be bringing that to people living with type 1 diabetes as well as their caregivers here in Australia.
00:18:33
Speaker
Well, you had me at sleep, improved sleep. That's good.
00:18:39
Speaker
we ah We always joke, our type 1 parents always joke about how no one else can, unless you're a type 1 sort of parent or living with type 1 yourself, you can't complain about tiredness. We're sort of always like, don't come at me that you're tired.
00:18:56
Speaker
Yeah, well, there you go. I mean, that's so important, right? um And we also hear from from folks who say that sometimes when they're at appointments, they find it really difficult to talk about about those sorts of impacts to their life.
00:19:12
Speaker
um And, you know, the simplicity of the product, um you know, being designed by that dad was very much about reducing the burden both around the numbers but very much around that quality of
Jo’s Personal Story and Advocacy
00:19:27
Speaker
life. So, yeah.
00:19:29
Speaker
It sounds wonderful and it sounds like an exciting product that is will be available for our type one community. Jo, I've asked you a fire a lot of questions at you and ah you've answered a lot of my things that I didn't know about sort of 20 minutes ago.
00:19:45
Speaker
So that's I appreciate that and I hope other people feel the same. Just one quick question just wanted to go back on. If someone's already on a pump or an already on an Omnipod, the dash, would the transition be quite slow?
00:19:59
Speaker
sort of seamless then? So those who are using the Omnipod Dash today and are accessing through their private health insurance, we have a program called the Omnipod 5 Promise.
00:20:10
Speaker
And there's a one-off payment of $249. And that means that whilst they're in their four or five-year cycle, they can move to the Omnipod 5 system without having to, you know, reactivate um their private health insurance again, because as you know, the insurers essentially lock you in for that four five year period. So that's specifically for our DASH users using private health insurance.
00:20:35
Speaker
If you are on another tubed insulin pump and you are in your private health insurance, that's a little more challenging. However, what we do have is our pay as you pod.
00:20:48
Speaker
obviously you'll need to speak to your healthcare professional and with their support, you can always access one month at a time to try the system and see if it is for you. And so that is an option that's available for those on another tubed insulin pump.
00:21:02
Speaker
If you're on multiple daily injections, again, you know, engage your healthcare professional and they'll support you through ah the onboarding and all of the order processing that comes with it.
00:21:14
Speaker
So access is is not difficult, but be sure to engage your healthcare professional, diabetes educator and endocrinologist. Yeah, so I know for us with the hospital, we had to fill in a form and then submit it and go on a wait list. And like I said, we got the call to say, i think I put that in in a January appointment and I got the call just a couple of weeks ago, so just the end of Feb.
00:21:38
Speaker
And they were starting to make times and appointments for people to do the training. So um was actually quite surprised at how quick that was. I sort of thought that it would maybe, yeah, I was thinking mid-year.
00:21:50
Speaker
So yeah. it's Oh, that's great. Yeah, so that's good. It's good that it's starting to happen. Anything else that you wanted to share with us, Jo, that you haven't had an opportunity to yet?
00:22:01
Speaker
I think I've covered everything. um We're just so so happy that we can provide a choice to Australians. consumers. That's what they want. A choice of sensors, a choice of how people access.
00:22:15
Speaker
And, you know, with the Omnipod 5, there's also a choice of customisable targets that people can set throughout their day, um you know, depending um on what they need. so Our whole premise of coming to Australia was ah about choice and so we're we're just delighted that we're at this point in the journey.
00:22:32
Speaker
So it sounds like you're quite passionate about about Omnipod. Did you want to share about why you're so passionate? You know, when I first started, i was consulting for the organisation who who run the Omnipod in the US and I didn't really know if the Omnipod would come to Australia and because there were quite a lot of challenges back then. There was no access pathway.
00:22:54
Speaker
And it really was through the advocacy of the community that actually created an access pathway for the Omnipod. That was not easy. But there was a mum who called me, who called me out of the blue. i don't i i didn't know her. She got my number from the ex-CEO of JDRF, actually.
00:23:14
Speaker
And she said to me, you don't know who I am, but I wanted you to know that I accessed the Omnipod from America. She said, I took my son over to America. She said, by the way, we're not wealthy by any means.
00:23:28
Speaker
We put all our savings into this. And the reason for that is because this option was not available in Australia. And she said, I had to do something because my teenage son at the time was in a very, very dark place.
00:23:42
Speaker
He had a lot of diabetes distress and complications and none of the options that were available in Australia were really helping him. She said, I knew that this is what he needed. Anyway, fast forward.
00:23:54
Speaker
They went over to the States. They were there for a couple of months. they They met an endocrinologist who helped them through the process, got him onto the product, got a big supply, brought it back to Australia.
00:24:06
Speaker
And she said to me, has absolutely changed his world, their family's world. And she said to me, i don't know what you need to do to bring the Omnipod to Australia, but whatever it is, you need to do it.
00:24:22
Speaker
And that has always been my why of why I feel so passionate about the Omnipod in Australia because it's people like her. they Our entire team have such a strong why because we know this choice really does help people.
00:24:37
Speaker
We're not saying that it's for every single person in Australia, um but we know it's an important choice. And so, you know, that that is my why. the other, I guess, closing thing I will say is that I feel deeply passionate about the need for universal access to insulin pumps in Australia, just like CGM is available and really rightly so.
00:25:02
Speaker
it was wonderful to see that policy change a few years ago. That needs to happen for insulin pumps because there are so many people that we speak to each and every day who could really benefit from an insulin pump, who could benefit from the Omnipod 5, but don't have the financial means.
Conclusion and Future Impact
00:25:19
Speaker
And it is that that drives me to want to see change because insulin pumps are a standard of care. It is a choice. And if people want that choice, there shouldn't be a financial barrier that gets in their way.
00:25:33
Speaker
So that's what I hope to see change in the future. That's so good, Jo. We are so lucky to have you in our corner and everybody that I speak to, like you know, you just sort of, what what you just said is every parent's, well, I can't think of a parent that wouldn't want that for that child, their child. And yeah, you do anything to sort of help them to have a better quality of life. So um thank you for all the effort and work that you and your team put into making some of those changes.
00:26:06
Speaker
Thank you. And thank you to the work that the Type 1 Foundation do. They do a huge amount of work in bringing awareness around the condition, around the burden, which sometimes can get glossed over. um You do incredible work. So we're so proud to partner.
00:26:21
Speaker
Yeah, amazing. Well, I think that will be our wrap-up for this episode. I know that i ah know it's a short, sharp kind of Omnipod 5, like what's happening, the launch.
00:26:32
Speaker
It's very exciting. And we hope that people, as they hear more about it and see that people actually accessing it and having some great success stories,
00:26:43
Speaker
um I can't see why there's no success, you know, there's there isn't going to be success stories in it um and that it just keeps raising the bar in Australia and and that our kids and our type ones are just able to live a more fulfilled and happy and healthy life.
00:27:01
Speaker
So thank you so much for your time and thank you all very much for listening to this this week's episode of the Type One Club.
00:27:13
Speaker
Thank you for tuning in to the Type 1 Club podcast. We hope you've enjoyed today's episode and gained some valuable insights. If you like what you heard, sure to subscribe to our podcast on all the platforms so you never miss an episode.
00:27:27
Speaker
We also appreciate it if you could leave us a rating and review. It really helps us to reach more listeners just like yourselves. For more updates, behind-the-scenes content and to join the conversation further, follow us on Instagram and Facebook, the Type 1 Foundation, or visit our website, type1foundation.com.au.
00:27:48
Speaker
Thanks again for listening and we will see you next time on the Type 1 Club. um