Top Diabetes Companies On The Way To The Artificial Pancreas

Connected continuous glucose sensing technologies, sensors inserted under the skin, digital skin patches, and many more innovations appeared on the market in the last years to make diabetes management as easy as possible. Here, we collected the flagship companies on the way to ultimately building the artificial pancreas or offering solutions to turn diabetes into an invisible condition.

From honey urine to DIY artificial pancreas

Diabetes has been around for centuries, if not even for thousands of years. In ancient China, India, or Greece, doctors already described the condition. In India, people discovered that they could use ants to test for diabetes by presenting urine to them. If the ants came to the urine, this was a sign that it contained high sugar levels. They called the condition madhumeha, meaning honey urine. It was not until 1776, however, that Matthew Dobson actually measured the concentration of glucose in the urine of such patients and found it to be increased. From that time on, more than a century passed until the discovery of insulin. In January 1922, 14-year-old Leonard Thompson was the first person to receive an injection of insulin to treat diabetes. He lived another 13 years with the condition – and eventually died of pneumonia.

After the appearance of insulin, its methods of delivery continuously developed. The first blood glucose monitors became available for home use in the 1980s, while the first insulin pen delivery system came into existence in 1986, and only a couple of years later, the invention of the external insulin pump unfolded. Thus, when digital and connected technologies appeared, the diabetes technology market already had some of their own company giants with reluctance to change.

Only in the last 3-5 years and as a response from the active diabetes patient community and their #wearenotwaiting movement propagating the DIY artificial pancreas have these huge enterprises recognized the potential in connected health devices. While they started the quest for the artificial pancreas and try to keep pace with the emergence of disruptive innovations, dozens of digital health start-ups also appeared offering smartphone apps, digital patches, and many other connected solutions – constantly challenging the status quo. Here, we collected those decade-old companies, which show the signs of renewal due to the latest technologies, as well as the brand-new ones representing the spirit of digital health.

Companies offering digital health solutions for therapy and monitoring

1) DexCom

The San Diego-based diabetes management superpower has been building continuous glucose sensing technologies since 1999. At first, the company focused on creating an implantable sensor that the body would not reject and that would perform for an extended period.

Its latest system, the Dexcom G6 does not require any finger pricks or a blood draw, and it was approved by the FDA in March 2018. Similarly to other continuous glucose monitoring systems, it allows diabetics to see their blood sugar throughout the day and night with a sensor that is inserted under the skin. Lately, the company has been cooperating with Apple to be able to connect the Apple Watch with the CGM sensor.

2) Medtronic

Today, Medtronic is the world's largest medical technology company with more than 260 locations in 155 countries, but it was not always like this. It was founded in 1949 as one single medical equipment repair shop. Over the years, they have developed cardiac pacemakers, implantable mechanical devices, drug and biologic delivery devices, and powered and advanced energy surgical instruments; being able to treat nearly 40 medical conditions.

For over 25 years, Medtronic has been helping people with diabetes; and with its latest, hybrid closed-loop system, it seems even to get a step closer to build its own artificial pancreas. Its MiniMed 780G system, the hybrid closed-loop system, continuously monitors blood sugar levels and automatically delivers insulin, but users still have to input the bolus insulin dose (the insulin type usually taken during meals) based on what you eat.

3) Abbott

Abbott Laboratories was founded in 1888 with its headquarters in Illinois, U.S. The company offers blood and glucose monitoring systems including test strips, sensors, data management decision software, and accessories for people with diabetes.

For example, Abbott released a FreeStyle Libre wireless monitor, a new class of glucose monitoring devices that use “flash” technology. The user wears a sensor on the upper arm, which measures glucose in the body water known as “interstitial fluid”. In October 2018, Abbott received CE Mark clearance for the Freestyle Libre 2 device with Bluetooth and customizable alarms.

Currently, they have the Freestyle Libre 3 Plus available.

4) Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk was founded in 1923 with its headquarters in Bagsvaerd, Denmark. Since then, the company has been present in 79 countries employing 43,100 people and accumulated unparalleled experience in diabetes management and care.

Trying to keep pace with innovation, the enterprise announced the creation of a reusable connected insulin pen, which is promised to be able to store and download the last 800 shots (about 3 months’ worth) and to connect with several diabetes monitoring systems to help better manage diabetes.

Novo Nordisk launched NovoPen 6 lately. Nevertheless, the company said, it aims to increase the availability of connected pens and offer solutions for personalized treatment guidance.

5) Insulet

Insulet Corporation, founded in 2000 and headquartered in Bedford, Massachusetts, engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of an insulin infusion system for people with insulin-dependent diabetes, primarily in the United States and Canada, but also in Europe.

The company offers the OmniPod Insulin Management System, which consists of a disposable insulin infusion device and handheld wireless personal diabetes manager; and provides a unique alternative to traditional insulin delivery methods. With its simple, wearable design, the disposable Pod provides up to three days of non-stop insulin delivery.

6) Diabeloop

The French company was founded in 2015, and its stated mission is to make accessible disruptive technological innovations that will allow people with type 1 diabetes to live the life they want. Diabeloop develops disruptive technological innovations to automate the treatment of diabetes.

The (compared to the previously presented companies) young venture created a hybrid closed-loop system, an external medical device that measures glucose levels every 5 minutes via Bluetooth. Then the smart algorithm analyzes data in real-time and takes into account the patient’s physiology, history and data entries (meals or exercise) to determine the correct dose of insulin to administer.

7) Virta Health

The San Francisco-based company has a noble and bold mission: it wants to reverse type 2 diabetes in 100 million people by 2025. It aims to do that safely, sustainably and without the risks or side effects of medication or surgery.

The Virta Treatment promises to decrease blood sugar levels, reduce diabetes medication, and help lose weight through nutritional ketosis, which basically means taking more fat into the body than carbohydrates as the main source for energy. For a successful journey to reverse diabetes, the company offers nutritional coaching, physician supervision, and biomarker tracking.

8) Nemaura

The UK-based biotech company aims to bring both new and old drugs to patients in superior delivery formulations and systems. Regarding diabetes management, it offers a creative non-invasive solution with its SugarBEAT CGM, basically a skin patch with special features.

The system uses the sticky skin patch to painlessly pull a small amount of glucose from the interstitial fluid. However, WebMD wrote that in early study results SugarBEAT wasn’t quite as accurate as CGM systems from Dexcom and other companies. We’ll soon see what the FDA says, as Nemaura plans to submit the device to the regulatory agency this year.

9) SiBionics

Sibionics is a health tech company focusing on innovative solutions for diabetes management. One of their key developments is a glucose sensor designed to provide continuous monitoring for individuals with diabetes. This device integrates advanced biosensor technology with data analytics, enabling users to track glucose levels in real-time.

The sensor aims to improve the daily management of blood sugar levels, potentially reducing the risks associated with diabetes. It is one of the few devices that are available globally.

10) One Drop

The New York-based One Drop, founded in 2015 by Jeff Dachis, co-founder of Razorfish, offers an app for diabetes management to help diabetics keep a running log of their personal insulin levels, the effectiveness of their medication, what they recently ate and what types of activities are affecting their blood sugar level on a daily basis.

Its diabetes management platform harnesses the power of mobile computing and data science, delivering personalized insights and advice based on the user’s health profile and blood glucose data.

11) BeatO Smart Glucometer

The company, which was also founded in 2015, operates in India and aims to help patients “beat” their diabetes. BeatO, short for beat diabetes (the 'O' being the ring of diabetes), is basically a mobile platform that motivates a diabetic to increase compliance and reduce their out-of-pocket expense. Beyond the app, the company also offers glucometers, glucometer strips, health supplements, and diabetes consultation. Their smart glucometer is, in fact, a smartphone add-on, lifting portability and user-friendliness to a completely new level.

As with One Drop, BeatO also has a team with Type 1 and/or Type 2 diabetics, with real-life, practical know-how of diabetes and how to beat it.