Ireland is shipping an unexpected—and incredibly valuable—cargo to the U.S. this year: $36 billion worth of hormones used in blockbuster weight-loss and diabetes drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. These shipments are so massive that they’ve pushed Ireland, a small country of just five million, into becoming America’s second-largest trade deficit partner, right behind China.

In a promising small trial, a new stem cell-based drug called zimislecel appears to have cured severe type 1 diabetes in 10 out of 12 participants, eliminating their need for insulin. However, the treatment might not be as effective for those with milder forms of the disease.

Editor’s Note: This could be a game-changer for people with the most aggressive cases of type 1 diabetes—imagine not needing daily insulin injections anymore. But it’s still early days: the trial was tiny, and we don’t yet know if the effects will last or if the treatment will work for everyone. Still, it’s a big leap toward potentially freeing some patients from a lifelong burden.