Sanofi is harnessing the power of pop music to boost awareness of the experience of living with Type 1 diabetes.
The French drugmaker has sponsored the formation of a new girl group, dubbed 1Type, whose first original song debuted Thursday and tracks the emotional highs and lows of living with the condition.
To create the new band, Sanofi teamed up with Stagecoach Performing Arts, a network of extracurricular performing arts schools in the U.K., to host a nationwide audition process. The resulting group is comprised of four teenage girls with Type 1 diabetes: Ella, Lola-Belle, Finley and Olivia.
A music video for 1Type’s new song, “Rise Up,” shows the girls meeting up at a recording studio and spending time together in various locations across London. The song’s verses describe the fear and confusion that can come with Type 1 diabetes symptoms and diagnoses, before taking a more empowering turn and highlighting the importance of a strong support system.
The song also features a spoken word interlude by Duke Al Durham, a U.K.-based poet and hip-hop artist who also has Type 1 diabetes.
In explaining its reasons for partnering on the project, in a launch announcement Thursday, Sanofi cited the results of a recent survey of 200 U.K. adults with Type 1 diabetes. Almost every respondent said the condition affects their physical health, while 91% said it has taken a toll on their mental health, too. About a quarter of those surveyed said they believe Type 1 diabetes is more misunderstood than Type 2, and a third said they’ve had to explain the condition to close family members.
The formation of 1Type and its first song are therefore meant not only to highlight the impact of Type 1 diabetes on day-to-day life, but also to help young people with the condition feel less alone, according to the company.
Another video posted by Sanofi on Thursday features 1Type and Durham further breaking down the song’s lyrics and sharing how they relate to their own experiences with Type 1 diabetes.
“Rise Up” is now available across all major music streaming services. Sanofi said in the announcement that it will donate all profits from the song to charities supporting people with Type 1 diabetes.
“Supporting the [Type 1 diabetes] community is a huge priority for us at Sanofi and this project has been very close to our hearts," Ahmed Moussa, general manager of Sanofi’s U.K. and Ireland general medicines business, said in a statement. "These incredible kids are true rockstars, both on stage and, more importantly, in how they manage type 1 diabetes every single day."
Sanofi sells a range of insulin medications for diabetes management, as well as Tzield, an immunotherapy that delays progression of Type 1 diabetes, which it acquired in its 2022 purchase of Provention Bio.
The company has also made efforts to boost earlier detection of the condition, including with an ongoing star-studded awareness campaign.