There’s a new closed-loop system out there (kind of like a new gunslinger in town!)! We/Loop and Learn were privileged to attend a Zoom event, hosted for us and several European influencers hosted on the occasion of the European congress EASD (European Association for the Study of Diabetes, 2021). Sadly, we were unable to record the event but I have attached, below, the slide deck for your review. 
The French company, Diabeloop, has integrated the Roche Accu-Chek Insight insulin pump into its DBLG1 System. The automated and personalized solution for Type 1 diabetes management is available in select European countries.
- Erik Huneker, CEO of Diabeloop
- Francoise Le Poulichet, Intl Bus Leader at Roche Diabetes Care
- Prof. Pierre-Yves Benhamou, MD. PHD, Chair, Department of Diabetology, University Hospital of Grenoble Alpes, France
- Roche/Diabeloop users share their experience
- Hosts included Yvette Petillon (Roche), Stephanie Jegu (Diabeloop), Zoe Heineman (Diabeloop)
My takeaway from the presentations was
- Excitement! I want to try it!
- Wait and see. Waiting for FDA approval, which was started in 2019 but stalled due to Covid
- Can’t wait. Access to a variety of pumps, particularly the Vicentra Kaleido patch pump (in lots of color options)
- Impressed. Focus of the company seems to be very specifically to REDUCE the burden of T1D and T1D management.
- Accessibility and interest. Very impressed with Erik Huneker (CEO) open and frank responses and engagement … very encouraging.
Below are the comments shared by Julia Kenney for diaTribe.org, 4 October 2021. Diabeloop’s AID system was released in 2019 in Europe to provide simple and personal disease management tools to people with type 1 diabetes. It is not yet approved for use in the US, but exciting clinical trials and real-life data demonstrate significant glycemic control and quality of life benefits.
What is Diabeloop and how does it work?
The system is powered by their DBLG1 algorithm housed on a dedicated handset. The Bluetooth-connected handset syncs with the insulin pump and CGM to display glucose data every five minutes.
While most AID systems are compatible with a single insulin pump and CGM, the DBLG1 algorithm and handset are compatible with several versions of Dexcom CGMs (G4, G5, and G6) and four different insulin pumps: Roche’s Accu-Chek Insight, ViCentra’s Kaleido, SOOIL’s Dana-I, and the Cellnovo. This means many people can use the DBLG1 system without switching CGMs or pumps.
To get started with the Diabeloop system, users must input their total daily insulin dose, typical meal size in grams of carbs, and body weight. After getting started, the algorithm is able to take over insulin delivery in 15 minutes. That’s it, tha’s all it takes to get started!!!
- Diabeloop use can increase Time in Range and decrease low blood sugar. Professor Pierre-Yves Benhamou presented data from the first 1,000 Diabeloop users in Germany. that shows that the participants had an average TIR of 73.4% and time in hypoglycemia of 1%. In a subset of 152 participants with available A1C data, average A1C decreased by 0.42 percentage points, and average TIR increased by 17 percentage points.
- Diabeloop can improve TIR regardless of insulin pump used. Dr. Alice Adenis, an engineer and data scientist with Diabeloop, has shown that, regardless of the pump used, study participants’ average TIR increased between 8.6 and 12.8 percentage points. Dr. Adenis indicated that on average, participants’ time above and below range was halved using the Diabeloop system.
- Meal size variation may not impact glycemic control in adult Diabeloop users. Dr. Paul Gimenez from Corbeil Essonnes, France, described findings from a study assessing the effect of meal size on glycemic control in 34 people with type 1 diabetes on the Diabeloop system. The study concluded that increased carbohydrate consumption does not lead to changes in TIR or levels of low and high blood sugar.
According to Diabeloop’s CEO Erik Huneker, Diabeloop is working to expand access to its AID system to underserved populations, children, teens, and people on all types of insulin.
Read more: Diabeloop’s AID System Improves Time in Range and Quality of Life
Yeah, I am with you. I think this is the future of pump management in the near term. …… rick