The news: Mattel introduced the first Barbie doll with type 1 diabetes, sporting a glucose monitor and insulin pump.

The toymaker partnered with Breakthrough T1D, formerly the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, on the doll’s design and to ensure medical device accuracy. The new Barbie joins its Fashionista line of 175 representative dolls, which includes Barbies with blindness, Down’s Syndrome, and hearing loss.

Why it matters: Type 1 diabetes accounts for 5% to 10% of all Americans diagnosed with diabetes.

• An estimated 2 million people in the US have type 1 diabetes, including about 304,000 children.
• The incidence of type 1 diabetes is increasing, with 9.5 million diagnosed globally in 2024 and expected to grow to 14.7 million by 2040, per Breakthrough T1D.

Our take: Pharma insulin makers like Sanofi, Eli Lilly, and Novo Nordisk, and device companies like Dexcom, Abbott, and Medtronic can leverage the type 1 Barbie news to drive more awareness and visibility. This could help dispel the stigma and embarrassment kids with diabetes may feel.

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