The Awful Truth About Beta Bionics & the iLet

Former employee who was at BB from the very early stages. I feel the t1d community has a right to know the truth about the leaders and founders of this truly disgusting company. To preface, I write this knowing the iLet may be a very helpful device for some, regardless, with the combined cost plus available choices, you deserve to choose the company your money directly funds.

The founder, Ed Damiano, is a raging narcissist who cares about becoming a wealthy tech mogul and nothing else. He very strategically plays the part of a doting father who cares about the t1d community, but this could not be further from the truth. He is not a professor. He holds the title, but has not taught in years. He has openly denigrated the t1d community for being 'poorly educated nobodies.' He wants your money and that is all. Not surprising, but his 100% fake facade is abhorrent.

He also broke numerous laws and rules by cherry-picking wealthy friends and donors' and their children for clinical trials. He allowed the device to be used by employees and their children, even though this could have shut down the entire company and its clinical trials. He kept a known abuser who sexually assaulted a coworker on staff in order to ensure this former employee finished a project for the iLet, despite the fact he could have easily hired someone to close out the project on time.

Despite putting an interim female president, they ultimately chose yet another white male who is a longtime friend of Ed's.

The worst -- they could have released this technology, for free, to the community ages ago. They stole several people from NightScout and could have easily released the algorithm to the NightScout team and saved hundreds of lives. Why did they not do this? Greed. It's a simple as that. Ed is a professor who makes over $200k a year. His wife is a physical who also makes six-figures. Both of their children attended BU for free. They do not need money. They are more than comfortable, as is. But, it's not enough for him.

The rhetoric is one of care and concern, but do not believe it for one moment. Beta Bionics does not care about you, the community, its employees, or people, in general. They are here to make money and that is all.