Sanofi’s U.K. business is partnering up with British comic stalwart the Beano once again to help British schools boost awareness of Type 1 diabetes.
The Beano first came out in the U.K. back in 1938 but became a real mainstay in British culture from the 1950s onward. It features the adventures of Dennis (formerly Dennis the Menace) and his dog Gnasher, as well as a whole host of characters with a uniquely British and often rebellious sense of humor.
Sanofi UK, as part of its campaigning for World Diabetes Day on Nov. 14, has chosen the Beano as part of its efforts to work in schools.
Working also with DigiBete, an online and app-based resource for Type 1 diabetes, Sanofi and Beano are launching free primary school classroom resources to help teachers explain the condition.
Unlike Type 2 diabetes, which is more likely to be linked to adults and typically associated with other comorbidities such as obesity, Type 1 diabetes (T1D)—when the immune system attacks the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas—is not linked to diet or lifestyle. It can be genetic but can also develop with no family history.
The condition is often diagnosed in younger children with major peaks around ages four to six years old and 10 to 14—though it can develop and be diagnosed at any age.
In the U.K., around 400,000 people are living with T1D, of which around 30,000 people are aged 18 years or younger.
The “Beano for Schools” program uses the well-known world of Beano to help children “learn about both the biological and emotional impact of living with T1D, while encouraging greater understanding of an often ‘unseen condition,'” Sanofi said in a release.
The idea is that this gives “teachers an accessible and engaging way to start conversations about T1D with young pupils,” the pharma added.
The push builds on Sanofi’s previous work with Beano, which introduced Rhymin’ Reema, a character living with T1D, in a special advertorial for World Diabetes Day back in 2024.
Big Pharma has been big on comics of late, notably in diabetes awareness, with this team up hot on the heels of Marvel working with Insulet on a new diabetes-focused superhero comic.