FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

dLifeTV presents
The Story of Insulin
The miraculous medical discovery that changed diabetes care forever.

The Story of Insulin airs February 26, 2006 at 7:00PM ET, 4:00PM PT on CNBC

(February 2006) dLife, the leading multimedia information source for people living with diabetes, is pleased to present The Story of Insulin - a dLifeTV primetime special documenting the dramatic discovery of this miraculous drug and the heartfelt stories of many people it has saved. In fact, today in the United States, an estimated 21 million people are living with some form of diabetes and that number is rising steadily. This unprecedented television event airs February 26, 2006 at 7:00PM ET, 4:00PM PT on CNBC.

 “This is truly one of the most extraordinary stories of modern medicine” explains dLifeTV creator and executive producer Howard Steinberg. “Never before had a new treatment had such an immediate life-saving impact on such a huge population of people – most of them children.  Before insulin, a child with diabetes had only one treatment available – a starvation diet that might prolong their life for a few months.” Steinberg, who has lived with type 1 diabetes since age 10, estimates that he has taken over 75,000 injections of insulin in his lifetime. 

Canadian researchers Dr. Frederick Banting, Charles Best, J. B. Collip, and Professor J. J. R. Macleod developed insulin in 1922, ensuring a future for millions of children and young adults barely clinging to life.  But the road was not an easy one. Scientific setbacks, political and personal infighting, and the challenges of improving and administering the drug are all part of this gripping story – told in this special documentary episode of dLifeTV.
 

The Story of Insulin is co-hosted by dLifeTV’s Nicole Johnson Baker and Jim Turner – both insulin users themselves.  It features Michael Bliss, distinguished medical historian and author of The Discovery of Insulin and Banting: A Biography.  Bliss is a professor of medicine and history at the University of Toronto – the birthplace of insulin. The Story of Insulin is co-sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company and Novo Nordisk Inc., who generously opened their historical archives for use in this production.

About Insulin and Diabetes

Insulin is a hormone secreted by the beta cells of the pancreas. It allows glucose to leave the bloodstream and enter the cells of the body, where it is used for energy.  In people with type 1 diabetes, beta cell function is impaired and they require injected insulin to keep high blood glucose, or blood sugar, under control.  Insulin is not a cure for diabetes, but is the only available effective treatment for type 1. Injected insulin is also used to treat some people with type 2 and gestational diabetes.

About dLife and dLifeTV

dLife is the first and only multimedia platform for information, inspiration, and connection to help people with diabetes manage their challenging condition and live long and healthy lives. dLifeTV, the first weekly lifestyle talk show about diabetes, is produced by dLife and airs Sunday evenings on CNBC at 7:00PM ET, 6:00PM CT, and 4:00PM PT. dLifeRadio is heard around the country on over 400 radio stations and on XM satellite radio. http://www.dLife.com is the largest independent website devoted to the diabetes lifestyle.

For more information and interviews with dLife talent and diabetes experts, contact Tom Karlya at karlya@dlife.com or 203-221-3453.

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