The Connaught Antitoxin Laboratories and University Farm on the day of its official opening, October 25, 1917. Today, 104 years later, it is the site of Sanofi Pasteur Canada’s Connaught Campus in Toronto.supplied
The company whose roots were founded in the greatest breakthrough in diabetes management history is continuing to shift the paradigm.
A century ago, Toronto’s Connaught Laboratories, the predecessor to Sanofi, became the birthplace of insulin. And Sanofi Canada continues to invest in modern diabetes research to improve outcomes for people living with diabetes. Recent research projects with Canadian partners have included a study to assess whether a combination of lifestyle therapy, coaching and medications can lead to diabetes remission for patients with type 2 diabetes.
While insulin transformed what was once a life-threatening condition into a manageable one for many, it’s still not life-as-normal for the nearly 11.5 million Canadians living with diabetes and prediabetes.¹
“We know that a chronic illness diagnosis, such as diabetes, often comes with high levels of uncertainty, lifestyle changes and new treatments,” says Sabina Steinkellner, general manager of Sanofi Canada’s General Medicines division.
The company is committed to partnering with health-care providers and people living with diabetes to support optimal care and support. To ensure it has a full understanding of needs, Sanofi Canada recently commissioned a market research study of Canadians living with diabetes. The good news: 64 per cent of those surveyed reported that their care is well managed. Even better, 81 per cent said they’re able to adhere to their treatment guidelines to a full or moderate degree.
Although diabetes is perhaps best known as an illness that affects the body’s ability to convert sugars from food into energy, its implications are further reaching. In addition to an increased risk of physical complications, including heart disease and stroke, nerve damage and more, people with diabetes also face a higher risk of experiencing mental health challenges.
Sanofi’s study also explored how patients feel about the support they believe would be of value to them beyond the physical. “We learned that 40 per cent of Canadians living with diabetes say mental health checks are an important aspect of their care since COVID-19. However, only two per cent have a mental-health practitioner or social worker as part of their health-care team,” says Ms. Steinkellner.
Sabina Steinkellner“We know that a chronic illness diagnosis, such as diabetes, often comes with high levels of uncertainty, lifestyle changes and new treatments … We learned that 40 per cent of Canadians living with diabetes say mental health checks are an important aspect of their care since COVID-19. However, only two per cent have a mental-health practitioner or social worker as part of their health-care team.
General Manager of Sanofi Canada’s General Medicines division
Many Canadians with diabetes also say they’re challenged connecting the dots between their condition and the many lifestyle factors that can affect both their day-to-day and longer-term outcomes. Forty-eight per cent of those who participated in Sanofi’s research indicate that they have difficulty sharing their personal lifestyle choices, such as exercise, nutrition and alcohol – all of which can affect how the body responds to food and treatments such as insulin – with their health-care team. Those newly or recently diagnosed were even more likely to struggle with sharing that information with their care teams.
Ms. Steinkellner reinforced that diabetes can’t be managed using a one-size-fits-all approach. And while Sanofi manufactures an array of insulin products to this day, their commitment to helping Canadians with diabetes live their best lives goes beyond medicine.
“Sanofi can trace a direct line in history to the discovery of insulin 100 years ago, followed by decades of insulin production for Canada,” says Ms. Steinkellner. “That legacy continues to inspire us today. Our mission is to deliver simple, meaningful solutions to improve the care journey by taking an agile approach to our work.
“We’re working hard to fill gaps to ensure patients’ priorities and needs are put first, enabling patients to live well and manage their condition – simply and conveniently.”
Advertising feature produced by Randall Anthony Communications with Diabetes Canada. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.