Noted pediatric endocrinologist brings deep clinical and industry experience in type 1 diabetes to innovative research program
Boston, April 30, 2015 – Henry Anhalt, DO, a renowned pediatric endocrinologist with deep clinical and industry experience related to type 1 diabetes, has been named the first chief medical officer of T1D Exchange, a nonprofit organization that has created a new paradigm fostering collaboration among patients, physicians, researchers and industry to speed discovery of better therapies for type 1 diabetes. The announcement was made at T1D Exchange’s annual meeting.
The appointment comes as T1D Exchange, launched in 2009, is growing swiftly across all aspects of its multi-faceted model. Anhalt will oversee all aspects of T1D Exchange’s groundbreaking research program and provide clinical leadership as the organization expands its capabilities and develops new initiatives to transform clinical care for patients, drive and support therapeutic advances and ensure patients are at the center of research.
Some 35 million people worldwide live with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and over 30,000 new patients – half of whom are children – are diagnosed annually in the U.S. alone. The physical, emotional and financial toll on patients and families is incalculable; this unpreventable, incurable disease also costs the U.S. economy and healthcare system over $14 billion each year. While recent discoveries and treatments demonstrate progress, the burden of living with type 1 diabetes remains.
Anhalt joins T1D Exchange after serving the medical industry in multiple key senior executive roles. Most recently he was senior medical director, medical diabetes at Sanofi, where he developed, led and executed the North America medical affairs strategy supporting the approval and launch of Toujeo® insulin. Prior to that, Anhalt served as chief medical officer and medical director of the artificial pancreas program at Animas, a Johnson & Johnson company.
“Henry Anhalt’s dedication to patient care, experience in medical-device and pharmaceutical fields and expertise with artificial pancreas and development of new insulins make him exceptionally qualified to lead our clinical program at this pivotal moment in our existence,” said Dana Ball, Executive Director of T1D Exchange and CEO of Unitio. “Under his aegis, we will have even greater opportunity to make tangible improvements in clinical care, outcomes and quality of life for patients with type 1 diabetes – through new research initiatives, partnerships, products, policy and advocacy.”
From its original vision of providing a single access point to critical data and research, the T1D Exchange has become a recognized resource in the global medical and research community. Today, T1D Exchange has a clinic registry with more than 26,000 well-characterized T1D patients ranging in age from under a year to over 93; an online, nearly 13,000 -strong patient/caregiver community, Glu; a unified clinic network of more than 230 collaborating clinicians and coordinators from 76 U.S. pediatric and adult sites seeing more than 150,000 patients; and a repository with biosamples from roughly 2,000 participants, plus a Living Biobank composed of over 1,700 consented individuals.
Anhalt’s recent work builds on more than 20 years in clinical practice, plus two decades’ worth of published research and presentations. He has led pediatric endocrinology divisions at Saint Barnabas Health Care System, Children’s Hospital at Maimonides Medical Center and The Brooklyn Hospital Center. Anhalt was also program director for the SUNY Downstate pediatric endocrinology fellowship training program. He has held other academic appointments at New York University School of Medicine, New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, and SUNY Stony Brook, among others.
Anhalt will be responsible for long-term strategic clinical priorities, plans and program execution. He will serve as principal investigator on research grants and funding opportunities; oversee coordination with T1D Exchange’s partner, the Jaeb Center for Health Research, home to the T1D Exchange Clinic Coordinating Center; and manage relationships with Clinical Research Organizations, industry and foundation sponsors, regulatory and clinical consultants, and key opinion leaders.
“Working with T1D Exchange is an opportunity unlike any other to make a tremendous and lasting change for the whole T1D community,” said Anhalt. “As a mission-based nonprofit focused on improving care and relieving the burden for all people with type 1 diabetes, T1D Exchange represents the culmination of everything I’ve worked for as a physician. I look forward to helping lead the advancement of type 1 diabetes research and care under this novel model poised to finally make real progress in ending this terrible disease.”
