The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) is partnering with Medtronic ($MDT) to advance the company's next-generation continuous glucose monitors.
Neither party announced the terms of the deal, but it is designed to accelerate the development of Medtronic's CGMs for artificial pancreas systems. The company is working on a redundant sensor system, combining two CGM methods into one device. By using both an electrochemical sensor and an optical one, Medtronic aims to create a check-and-balance system to make for reliable glucose readings.
The Helmsley Charitable Trust joined JDRF to fund the partnership, and its end goal is to advance the field until the industry can realize an automated, artificial pancreas. "Advancing sensor accuracy and reliability is core to both organizations' missions to enable people with diabetes to live longer, healthier lives," Katie Szyman, president of Medtronic's diabetes wing, said in a statement.
The company is currently working to get Paradigm Veo, its closed-loop insulin pump, on the U.S. market. The device can automatically suspend insulin delivery if its sensor detects levels equal to or below the body's threshold. It's commercially available outside the U.S., and Medtronic says it is conducting a pivotal trial with an eye on FDA approval.
- read the release