Savvy Updates 3/17/25: Sync Your CMG to Any Smartwatch, New Biosensor from Bacterial Spores for Glucose Monitoring, New iCan CGM from Sinocare in EU, New Antibody Test for Celiac Disease, Environmental Waste From Diabetes Devices, Immune System Training for D Management

Mar 17, 2025 | Diabetes Business, Featured, Research News, Technology Updates | 0 comments

In this week’s issue of The Savvy Diabetic: 

  • Sync Your CMG to Any Smartwatch, by Diabetotech.com
  • New Biosensor from Bacterial Spores for Glucose Monitoring
  • New iCan CGM from Sinocare in EU
  • New Antibody Test for Celiac Disease for T1D
  • Environmental Waste From Diabetes Devices, with link to BUY NOW! The Shopping Conspiracy on Netflix
  • Immune System Training for D Management by Dr. Leonardo Ferreira, funded by Diabetes Research Connection
How to Sync Your CGM to Any Smartwatch by Diabetotech.com, 13 March 2025.

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has revolutionized diabetes management by delivering real-time insights into glucose trends. Now, integrating CGM data with a smartwatch takes convenience a step further—offering quick glucose checks during workouts, classes, meetings, or any time you’d rather not reach for your phone.

         

This concise guide is designed for endocrinologists, diabetes educators, and people living with diabetes who want to explore smartwatch connectivity for various CGMs (FreeStyle Libre, Dexcom, Guardian, and more) across various smartwatches like Apple Watch, Wear OS, and Garmin. From official apps to open-source workarounds, you’ll learn how to set up glucose tracking on your wrist, troubleshoot common pitfalls, and empower your diabetes management with at-a-glance data, wherever you go.

Glucose readings from a CGM on the wrist facilitate quick checks—especially during exercise, classes, meetings, or anywhere it might be inconvenient to pull out a phone. While not all CGM manufacturers offer native smartwatch integration, a variety of solutions exist, including third-party or open-source software.

Read more: How to Sync Your CGM to Any Smartwatch 

Investigators Test Novel Biosensor Linked to Bacterial Spores for Glucose Monitoring by Ashley Gallagher for PharmacyTimes.com, 27 January 2025.

In new research from Binghamton University, a new paper-based biosensor system could identify Bacillus subtilis bacterial spores, which grow in response to glucose in potassium-rich body fluids like sweat, to detect a patient’s glucose level. This would offer a simpler, pain-free alternative to finger sticks for patients with diabetes who are monitoring their glucose. 

“Everyone has a different potassium concentration in their sweat, and I don’t know how this concentration affects the glucose,” Seokheun Choi, PhD, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Binghamton University, said in a news release. “The sensitivity also is lower than conventional enzymatic biosensors. But from this work, we created a new sensing mechanism to detect glucose. No one has done that yet.”

Investigators found that the rate of germination and number of metabolically active germinating cells is proportional to glucose concentration. It can produce electrogenic activity, thus can be used as a self-powered transducing signal to detect glucose, according to the study authors. The investigators formulated a micro-engineered, paper-based microbial fuel cell that provides measurable and real-time alerts. In their tests, the sensor showed exceptional selectivity and accurately identified glucose. In comparison with conventional biosensors, the investigators found that their system remained stable for extended periods of time and regained functionality when needed.

Read more: Investigators Test Novel Biosensor Linked to Bacterial Spores for Glucose Monitoring

Children in Europe, From The Age of Two, Now Have Access to iCan CGM System in a press release from Sinocare.com, 9 January 2025.
Sinocare obtained CE Mark for iCan continuous glucose monitoring system for children aged from 2 years to 17 years of age with diabetes.  Underpinned by a significant multi-center clinical study within three major pediatric diabetes hospitals, the iCan CGM system showed exceptional wear-life and a single digit MARD during the entire 15 days of accuracy measurement.   
 
‘We are delighted to bring the innovative and accurate iCan CGM system to children and adults in Europe. This CE Mark for the use of the iCan CGM from age 2+ means broader access to continuous glucose monitoring for all people, regardless of age, race and affordability’, commented Dr Jiangfeng Fei, global Head of Sinocare CGM business unit.
 
Founded in 2002, Sinocare Inc. was the first blood glucose meter company to be listed in China. With a strong presence in Asia and the U.S., Sinocare is the largest manufacturer of blood glucose monitoring devices in Asia and the fourth largest globally, as well as one of the leading POCT companies worldwide.  It continues to lead the way in biosensing innovation on the international stage, advancing its mission to be the global leading diabetes digital management expert.
 
According to Scott Strumello (blog.sstrumello.com), Right now, Sinocare is focused on the European market including the UK, Germany, and Austria. Abbott, which makes Freestyle Libre CGM sensors, has sued Sinocare.  (OF COURSE, they sue everyone!)  But Sinocare has successfully defended itself in the High Court of Justice (Chancery Division) of England and Wales against trademark infringement and passing off claims brought by Abbott Diabetes Care Inc.
 
In a ruling issued on February 7, 2025, Mr. Justice Richard Smith dismissed Abbott’s allegations that Sinocare’s iCani3 Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) system infringed its three-dimensional trademark, a white and round disc representing the FreestyleLibre on-body unit (OBU). The court upheld Snocare’s counterclaims, ruling that Abbott’s “trademark” invalid due to its lack of distinctive character and its reliance on functional features essential for achieving a technical result.
 
This outcome aligns with a prior decision by the Supreme Court of Austria, which determined Abbott’s trademark was weak, did not indicate origin, and was unlikely to cause consumer confusion with Sinocare’s iCani3, given their distinct design elements.  Sinocare had also challenged Abbott’s EU Trademark No. 018474232, arguing it was applied for in bad faith, lacked distinctiveness, and was dictated by technical function. Following the conclusion of oral arguments in the English High Court, Abbott fully surrendered the trademark.
 
Perhaps once the dust settles on the UK and European litigation, Sinocare will then apply for FDA and Health Canada approval.

Read more: Access to iCan CGM System

PreEvnt to unveil non-invasive blood glucose alert device by Sean Whooley for DrugDeliveryBusiness.com, 3 January 2025.

PreEvnt recently announced plans to introduce Isaac, its non-invasive alert device for monitoring blood glucose levels. Isaac, which is meant to monitor blood glucose levels using just the breath of the user, also has a custom phone app. It comes small enough to be worn on an included lanyard or pocket clip and reduces the need for or frequency of fingersticks for people with diabetes. The Oxnard, California-based company plans to unveil the device at CES 2025.  PreEvnt, a subsidiary of Scosche Industries, designed Isaac for people with type 1, type 2 and pre-diabetes. It can also help those who wish to monitor their blood glucose levels — something for which the industry has seen interest rise following the release of over-the-counter continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) from Abbott and Dexcom.

Isaac provides real-time readings of blood glucose levels to help users make informed decisions about diet and exercise, according to PreEvnt. The technology leverages patented selective gas-sensing MOx technology by Nanoz. It uses volatile organic compound (VOC) detection (specifically acetone) from exhaled breath to identify elevated blood glucose levels. The device’s custom iOS and Android app works to measure, track and share data with family members and physicians.  Additionally, PreEvnt says the app provides real-time alerts if blood glucose levels rise, along with customizable notifications. The rechargeable device comes with its own USB-C charging cable and cradle, typically requiring one charge that lasts all day.

Isaac remains investigational and under development and awaits FDA review.  “By identifying and analyzing the [VOCs] in breath, we can develop sensors that provide early and accurate detection of glycemic conditions,” said Dr. M. Agarwal of Indiana University, who directed research that helped develop the technology. “This technology mimics the capabilities of diabetes alert dogs, offering a noninvasive and reliable monitoring solution.”

Read more: PreEvnt to unveil non-invasive blood glucose alert device

New Antibody Test Improves Celiac Disease Diagnosis in T1D by Javed Choudhury for Medscape.com, 13 March 2025.

The diagnosis of celiac disease in patients with T1D is challenging due to the common asymptomatic or oligosymptomatic presentation and fluctuating antibody levels.  Researchers conducted this study to evaluate the effectiveness of TGA-IgA antibody levels in diagnosing celiac disease and to establish optimal criteria for performing diagnostic biopsies.

Balancing sensitivity and specificity, the optimal TGA-IgA cut-off for performing biopsies to confirm the diagnosis of celiac disease was approximately 6.1 times the upper limit of normal, resulting in an accuracy of 80.4% and a sensitivity of 90.3%. Celiac disease was more frequently diagnosed within 2 years of T1D diagnosis, with about two thirds of individuals showing elevated TGA-IgA levels at the time of T1D diagnosis.

Read more: New Antibody Test Improves Celiac Disease Diagnosis in T1D

Quantifying Environmental Waste From Diabetes Devices in the U.S., a research article by Tiffany Tian et.al and published by DiabetesJournals.org, 12 March 2025.
 
OBJECTIVE: Diabetes devices, including continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and insulin pumps, may significantly affect environmental sustainability and long-term resilience.  
 
CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the importance of improving recycling methods and reducing waste from diabetes devices.
 
Clinical trial reg. no. NCT06071325, clinicaltrials.gov.  This article contains supplementary material online at https://doi.org/10.2337/figshare.28452170

I watched a documentary on Netflix, called BUY NOW! The Shopping Conspiracy.  It’s disturbing with lots of interviews by whistleblowers, including a section on medical waste.  https://www.netflix.com/title/81554996

Revolutionizing Diabetes Care with Immune System Training: Dr. Leonardo Ferreira funded by DiabetesResearchConnection.org, 22 December 2024.

Islet cell transplantation using beta cells but this treatment requires patients to undergo immunosuppression for the rest of their lives to keep the body from rejecting the foreign beta cells, leaving patients vulnerable to viruses, bacteria, and cancer cells. It also requires the availability of donor cells, which may not always be accessible.

In a novel approach to tackle these obstacles, Dr. Leonardo Ferreira and his team at the Medical University of South Carolina and a research team at the University of Florida recently collaborated on a unique, highly specific strategy to treat T1D using engineered human regulatory T cells (Tregs) with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and engineered stem cell-derived beta cells with a cell surface target specifically recognized by the CAR. These “CAR-Tregs” can target and protect transplanted beta cells from immune system rejection.

Their strategy is to train patients’ immune systems to accept the transplanted cells as their own, escaping the usual auto-immune destruction – a breakthrough that could eliminate the need for lifelong immunosuppressants in cell transplantation therapies.  According to Dr. Ferreira, marrying stem cell engineering and regulatory T cell (Treg) engineering allowed the first step toward a readily available, off-the-shelf solution to treating T1D.

Read more:  Immune System Training: Dr. Leonardo Ferreira

 

 

 

 

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