Episode 43: Tandem Control-IQ+ and Mobi, with Laurel Messer

The Glucose Never Lies® Podcast

The Glucose Never Lies® Podcast
Episode 43: Tandem Control-IQ+ and Mobi, with Laurel Messer
Jul 23, 2026 Episode 43
John Pemberton

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A pump can be technically excellent and still deliver mediocre results, because the two settings that decide the outcome are the ones most clinicians tune last. Laurel Messer, VP of Global Medical Affairs at Tandem Diabetes Care, returns to open the GNL AID series. She and John go through the real-world data behind Control-IQ's most powerful lever, what Control-IQ+ changes for the very young and the very high dose, the new sick day and extended bolus tools, the fresh FDA clearance for pregnancy, and the Tandem Mobi. IN THIS EPISODE - Why correction factor, not basal rate or target, is the setting with the biggest real-world effect on time in range (Messer 2023, n equals 20,764) - Control-IQ+, the total daily dose range extended to 5 to 200 units, opening the system to very young children and very high insulin users - Control-IQ+, the correction factor ceiling raised from 11 to 33 mmol/L (200 to 600 mg/dL) - The new sick day hack, a temp basal that runs without leaving automation - The extended bolus, up to eight hours, for high fat meals and delayed gastric emptying - Fresh FDA clearance for Control-IQ in pregnancy, and what the CIRCUIT trial found for time in pregnancy range - The Tandem Mobi, a matchbox sized on-body pump running the same Control-IQ algorithm CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction, launching the AID series 01:43 Welcome back, Laurel Messer 03:55 The 2023 registry paper, correction factor as the secret sauce 10:40 A basal and correction factor formula in practice 12:39 Time blocks across the day, the dusk phenomenon 15:37 Control-IQ+, wider total daily dose range 17:27 Control-IQ+, correction factor ceiling raised 20:50 Recap, basal at 50 percent, correction factor as the dial 22:36 Temp basal with automation on, the sick day hack 26:32 Extended bolus, up to eight hours 28:17 The pizza test 30:23 The science, why fat blocks insulin 32:21 FDA clearance for pregnancy 36:06 CIRCUIT trial results 44:22 Sleep Activity in pregnancy 49:14 Introducing the Tandem Mobi 53:41 Mobi minimum fill and early feedback 57:16 Takeaways, the two levers to know GUEST Laurel Messer, VP of Global Medical Affairs, Tandem Diabetes Care. Host: John Pemberton, founder of The Glucose Never Lies and a paediatric diabetes dietitian, and a person living with type 1 diabetes. LINKS (all full absolute URLs) Show notes: https://www.theglucoseneverlies.com/episode-43-tandem-control-iq-plus-mobi/ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2Zq2XALSnYA Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-glucose-never-lies/id1795741144 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2MlGlz2G8LsbDnuGtAh77W AID Algorithm Optimiser: https://www.theglucoseneverlies.com/aid-system-explorer/ Previous episode: https://www.theglucoseneverlies.com/episode-42-dice-2026-highlights/ ASK GRACE Have more questions? Ask GNL Grace, a diabetes educational adviser built by a team with skin in the game. Grace gets you 80 per cent of the way there with 20 per cent of the effort; the final 20 per cent takes self-discovery, guided by human expertise and trial-and-error learning. Check out Grace at https://www.theglucoseneverlies.com/gnl-grace/ SUPPORT THIS PODCAST The Glucose Never Lies is independent by design. We take no sponsorship and no advertising, so the podcast stays answerable only to the people who listen to it. If it has been useful, you can help keep it that way: drop a one-off tip, or set up a small monthly amount to keep the show ad-free. Either way, every penny goes back into making episodes. Buy us a coffee (one-off or keep-it-ad-free): https://www.buymeacoffee.com/gnlfree FOLLOW Website: https://www.theglucoseneverlies.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theglucoseneverlies LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theglucoseneverlies X: https://twitter.com/GlucoseNLies DISCLAIMER This podcast is for education only. It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for individualised care from your diabetes team. This episode reflects the independent clinical perspective of John Pemberton; Laurel Messer speaks in her role at Tandem Diabetes Care. It is not an endorsement by GNL of any product. The Glucose Never Lies is a registered trademark of The GNL Ltd. Company No. 16733595. UK VAT No. GB 516 3272 08.

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This podcast is for education and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice and is not a substitute for individualised care.

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Enquiries

Collaboration: John Pemberton — john@theglucoseneverlies.com

Creatives: Anjanee Kohli — anj@theglucoseneverlies.com

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Episode Artwork Episode 43: Tandem Control-IQ+ and Mobi, with Laurel Messer 1:03:59 Episode Artwork Episode 42: DICE 2026 - The Highlights 1:09:47 Episode Artwork Ep 41: CGM Series Round-Up, Grace Update and John on Diabetech 40:12 Episode Artwork Episode 40 - Accu-Chek SmartGuide: CGM Generation 2.0 for MDI | Amy Jolley | GNL Podcast 57:40 Episode Artwork Episode 39: Abbott FreeStyle Libre - Accuracy, Simplicity and What's Next 41:34 Episode Artwork Episode 38: Q1 2026 Quarterly Review, GNL Grace, the Explorers, and What Changed 36:39 Episode Artwork Episode 37: Dexcom G7 and ONE+| Adam Dawes | GNL Podcast 53:42 Episode Artwork 36: CGM Series - CGM Accuracy, DSN Reality Checks and the Future of Diabetes Technology 51:24 Episode Artwork 35: CGM Series - The Importance of CGM Accuracy and Study Design with Professor Othmar Moser 59:35 Episode Artwork 34 — Building High-Performance Type 1 Diabetes Care: Technology, Targets, and Equity (Dr Peter Adolfsson) 51:02 Episode Artwork 33 — Exercise Evidence for Females with T1D: Mind the Gap | Associate Professor Jane Yardley 1:11:46 Episode Artwork 32 — Menstrual Cycles & Type 1 Diabetes: The Gender Gap in Care | Dr. Cecilia Nobili 54:44 Episode Artwork 31 — Prof Scott on pregnancy with type 1 diabetes: from pre-conception planning to postpartum care 1:21:23 Episode Artwork 30 — Educating on the algorithms behind diabetes devices 31:54 Episode Artwork 29 — The Behaviour Change Playbook for Type 1 Diabetes 1:06:09 Episode Artwork 28 — Then Glucose Never Lies 2025 in Review: Chaos → Clarity 1:04:10 Episode Artwork 27 — T1D Looping Blind: Making the Impossible Possible Together 42:24 Episode Artwork 26 – Building a Diabetes Community Through Vulnerability, Movement and Mindset (Diabetes with Mily) 39:15 Episode Artwork 25 — Partying with T1D (Alcohol Edition) 1:08:41 Episode Artwork 24 — Skincare, Sensors & Smarter AID Algorithms for Type 1 Diabetes 1:00:27 Episode Artwork 23 — From Diabetes Brunches to Bali by Creating a Type 1 Diabetes Community with Dr Temi Olonisakin 48:40 Episode Artwork 22 — From Diabetes Burnout to the CGM Access Blueprint — Kirsten de Klerk (South Africa) 57:28 Episode Artwork 21 — Partha Kar’s SPARK: Transforming diabetes care using his “Five-to-Drive-Change” 43:19 Episode Artwork 20 — Standardization of Testing CGM Performance: The Nuts and Bolts with Stefan Pleus of the IFCC 58:01 Episode Artwork 19 – iCGM vs eCGM vs Standardisation by the IFCC: CGM Regulation with Dr. Guido Freckmann 28:51