A UCLB licensee tackling diabetes via prevention and treatment

As UCLB’s licensee, NHS England’s Healthy Living programme has significantly increased its user numbers this year, there’s reason for optimism this National Diabetes Month, says Ana Lemmo Charnalia, Senior Business Manager, Social Ventures.

According to Diabetes UK, four million people in the UK are living with diabetes, with about 90% of these suffering from type 2 diabetes. It’s also estimated that about one million people with Type 2 diabetes are currently undiagnosed.

The implications for public health and the NHS, then, can’t be underestimated, and important among UCLB’s work in this area is a UCL programme called HeLP-Diabetes, developed by a group of academics and clinicians led by the late UCL Professor Elizabeth Murray, which was later licensed to NHSE through UCLB’s social venture support offer and became known as Healthy Living. 

Healthy Living is a web-based structured education programme that supports people to learn more about type 2 diabetes and improve their health and wellbeing. It is available nationally, and for free, for people living with the condition. One user wrote: “I found it very informative and so helpful in understanding diabetes. With this new knowledge I feel able to make more informed decisions in managing my condition.”  

It’s with great pride that we can now report that the programme has reached 43,116 users this year ending August, up by 20,000 on the previous year. 

But, UCLB’s efforts to assist the diabetes efforts don’t stop there. The mission to encourage healthy eating and lifestyles starts at day one, and Social Ventures spinout TrimTots/Planet Munch is making strides in the prevention of childhood obesity, given the significant impact of obesity on acute and chronic diseases, general health, development and well-being.    

TrimTots/Planet Munch, an evidence-based programme for under 5s, has been successfully delivered in 13 centres and is now poised to be rolled out nationally with the possibility of expanding into the international healthy market.  

As Diabetes Month draws to a close, the contributions of tech transfer point to its vital role in the treatment and prevention ecosystem.  

Check out our Social Ventures page here, detailing our diverse range of spinouts. 

Find out more about UCLB’s recent partnership in London Social Ventures.