For the last year, Apple has been the 800-pound gorilla in mobile and wireless health. Stakeholders in the mobile health marketplace have been anxiously watching and speculating about what Apple would ultimately offer with its HealthKit platform and smartwatch.
We recently shared news about a new MIT study that used mice models to test an injectable “smart insulin.” This insulin activates only when there are traces of excess glucose in the bloodstream, an innovation which could potentially eliminate or lower the risk of hypoglycemia.
For months, the diabetes community has been speculating about the watch’s capabilities and what the HealthKit platform could do for daily diabetes self-care. Some have even hoped the watch would be able to monitor blood glucose readings without bloodletting, although there is no indication it is designed for this.
You are standing in your kitchen staring blankly, hands shaky, vision blurry, feeling confused and panicked as you try to decide what to eat or drink. You proceed to consume everything in sight as fast as humanly possible to treat the low.
“We want to make it easy for everyone to be able to help anyone who uses insulin anywhere, anytime,” says Locemia co-creator and chairman Robert Oringer, an entrepreneur with a long history in the diabetes industry.
Sanofi, which has been bracing for increased competition for Lantus, has won the race to bring a new basal insulin to the marketplace. This week, the drug manufacturer announced the FDA has approved Toujeo, its new once-daily long-acting basal insulin. The new insulin is expected to go on sale in the U.S. by the start […]
We’ve barely begun 2015, but early returns suggest it’s going to be a banner year for diabetes technology. Here are some breakthroughs we’ve noted in the first two months (click on links to the full articles).
LifeScan recently announced the US launch of the OneTouch Verio Blood Glucose Monitoring System. The system is now available nationwide at an estimated retail price of $19.99.
Medtronic is touting new data that shows its MiniMed 530G pump, which automatically suspends insulin delivery when blood sugar levels get too low, can prevent some bouts of hypoglycemia. While previous clinical trials resulted in similar findings, this study confirmed hypoglycemia reduction in a real world setting.
The common belief, presently held by many endocrinologists, is that test blood, drawn from the fingertips, gives a more current and accurate indication of blood glucose than blood drawn from alternate sites, such as the forearm, shoulder and stomach.
There’s always a fair amount of buzz and excitement whenever a “next-generation” diabetes device is announced, or talked about for the first time. They often get big play in the mainstream press despite still being a long ways from available on the market for patients to access and use.
Instead of repeated blood tests and injections throughout the day to keep blood sugar in check, a single dose of smart insulin would keep circulating in the body and turn on when needed. Animal studies show the technology appears to work – at least in mice.
Already approved by the FDA, the app is slated to debut in April to help diabetics make sure their blood sugar levels don’t go too high or too low.
Take a deep breath, Friends: the world’s first (seemingly) commercially viable inhalable insulin product is here. Today, Sanofi has officially launched MannKind’s long-awaited Afrezza, and we hear the product is already appearing in some pharmacies nationwide. Housed in a tiny, handy inhaler device, Afrezza is said to bring not only convenience, but also some new […]
Medtronic Diabetes shared new timeline hopes on its upcoming diabetes device pipeline at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference on January 12. Notably, management expects to launch the MiniMed 640G/Enlite 3 CGM (predictive low glucose management) in the US by April 2016, and a hybrid closed loop system (one step closer to a fully automated ‘artificial […]
Though Sanofi has not officially announced its availability, Afrezza can now be picked up at retail outlets like CVS and Walgreens – for now, a special pharmacy order may be required, meaning you can pick it ~1-2 days after you turn in the prescription. If interested, please call your doctor to find out the steps […]
Most glucometers that people with diabetes use today are pretty dumb. They display the latest readings and if you’re lucky there’s some charting capabilities as well. On the other hand there’s a myriad of apps that provide detailed tracking of glucose levels, dietary intake, and physical activity. The trick is transferring the data from the […]
An ultra-thin, flexible sensor that sticks to the skin like a temporary tattoo can detect a person’s blood glucose levels.
Medtronic has unveiled its new MiniMed 640G System, an advanced blood glucose sensor and insulin delivery combination that in some ways mimics a healthy pancreatic response. Specifically, this is the world’s first system that will stop pumping insulin when glucose levels are predicted to drop below a set baseline, preventing hypoglycemia, and then resume once […]
Older people are especially susceptible to severe hypoglycemia. With age, kidneys become less efficient, which causes insulin (or other drugs) to accumulate in the body; this, in turn, can lead to hypoglycemia. What’s more, older people often take multiple medications, some of which may interact with diabetes drugs. This, too, may cause hypoglycemia.