Will This Company's Artificial Pancreas Disrupt the Insulin Pump Market?

[Northerner]

Approximately, 347 million people worldwide currently suffer from diabetes, including 8.3% of Americans. The CDC believes that as many as one in every three adults in America will have diabetes by 2050, a sobering figure that reminds us that despite all the treatments we have for the disease, there is still no cure. However, technological advances have steadily improved the lives of diabetics by making the disease more manageable.

Medtronic's artificial pancreas
Medtronic (NYSE: MDT ) recently made history when its wearable artificial pancreas, the first of its kind, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The device is designed for type 1 diabetics whose bodies cannot produce any insulin, in contrast to type 2 diabetes, which is characterized by insulin deficiency. Approximately, 5% to 10% of diabetics are classified as type 1.

http://www.fool.com/investing/gener...companys-artificial-pancreas-disrupt-the.aspx

This is rubbish, isn't it? Apart from saying (above) that T2 'is characterized by insulin deficiency', which is completely wrong, this meter doesn't automatically deliver the correct amount of insulin based on the glucose reading from the CGM, does it? It's just a pump with a low-suspend feature isn't it?

 

[Vicsetter]

Sounds like it is just that a CGM wirelessly connected to a pump. Like the others the detector needs replacing every few days and takes a reading every 5 minutes and alerts you of highs and lows. Not an artificial pancreas at all.

But: It is recommended that you calibrate CGM systems with fingersticks 3?4 times per day for optimal glucose sensor accuracy. CGM does require at least 1 fingerstick blood glucose reading every 12 hours to calibrate the CGM sensor.

http://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/treatment-and-products/continuous-glucose-monitoring

 

[Pumper_Sue]

The above pump is the USA version of the Veo which has been on the market for a couple of years at least if not a lot longer. Other pumps mentioned in dispatches in the article are referring to pumps that also exist in the UK as in the animas vibe. The vibe has been out for 2 years as well.

 

[Redkite]

It's irritating but typical of lazy journalists. This pump is just the Veo! It's a step on the path to an artificial pancreas and has some great features IF you can afford to use it with continuous sensors. What sets the Veo apart from other pumps is its low-suspend function, which is a potential life saver. Everything else is dependent on user input, not automation unfortunately!