Medtronic to acquire South Korean wearable insulin patch maker EOFlow by Ravikash for SeekingAlpha.com, 25 May 2023.  

Medtronic is acquiring South Korea-based wearable insulin patch maker EOFlow in a deal worth KRW 971B ($738M). The acquisition will give Medtronic access to EOFlow’s EOPatch — a tubeless, wearable and fully disposable insulin delivery device. Medtronic said it will work quickly to integrate EOPatch with its next-generation sensor and Meal Detection Technology algorithm currently offered in its MiniMed 780G system. The acquisition is expected to close in H2 2023, subject to conditions, which include regulatory approvals.

“We’re excited to introduce a differentiated wearable patch option to provide more patient choice and drive further innovation for those who want to use technology to make living with diabetes easier,” said Que Dallara, EVP/President, Medtronic Diabetes.

Insulet, Tandem fall as Medtronic to buy insulin pump maker by Dulan Lokuwithana for SeekingAlpha.com, 25 May 2023.

Developers of insulin delivery systems Insulet Corporation and Tandem Diabetes Care traded lower on Thursday after their rival Medtronic agreed to acquire EOFlow Co. Ltd, a South Korean maker of wearable insulin patches, for $738M.  Insulet, which offers a tubeless insulin delivery device called Omnipod System, has shed ~6% marking the biggest intraday loss in nearly a year, while Tandem has dropped ~4%, both on below-average volumes.  Tandem develops t: slim X2 insulin delivery systems, which deliver insulin through tubing similar to Medronic’s MiniMed series of insulin pumps.

“Overall, we anticipate some concern about the impact of EO Patch on PODD’s growth outlook,” Piper Sandler analyst Matt O’Brien wrote, referring to the insulin delivery device manufactured by EOFlow.

Read more:

• • • Medtronic to acquire South Korean wearable insulin patch maker EOFlow
    • Insulet, Tandem fall as Medtronic to buy insulin pump maker

Non-Invasive Glucose Monitoring: Hope or Hype? by Andrew Briskin for diaTribe.org, updated 22 May 2023.

Here’s a look at the latest in research and development of non-invasive glucose monitoring devices.  Over the last two decades, dozens of companies worldwide have sought to develop a non-invasive glucose monitor – a sensor that could measure your glucose levels without puncturing the skin or having to insert a device into the body.  The majority of these devices so far have either failed to work or have not received FDA approval. However, researchers have been persistent, and in recent years, have fine-tuned different forms of non-invasive monitoring technologies, offering promise that a device may eventually reach the market.

Optical technology refers to any method that can identify different substances in a fluid (like blood) based on the interaction of those substances with electromagnetic radiation or light. “The glucose signal from an optical sensor is small, and other molecules in the body produce interfering signals that are similar, which is called noise,” said Dr. David Klonoff, Medical Director of the Diabetes Research Institute in San Mateo, California, and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology. “The ratio of glucose signal to noise is often very small and it can be difficult to isolate the glucose signal itself.”  However, our ability to isolate glucose signals alone has improved.  “Newly-developed artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms have given us greater computational power to isolate a glucose signal from the noise,” said Klonoff. “We are getting closer to seeing a commercially viable product emerge, thanks to improved sensors that are smaller and more accurate.”

Outside of non-invasive optical glucose monitors, several companies have sought to develop a non-invasive fluid sampling device using bodily fluids such as saliva, sweat, tears, or vapor from your breath. “This would be less invasive than even a minimally invasive technology, as they would not require inserting a needle or probe into the body,” said Klonoff. Similar issues of accuracy remain, but there has been documented progress in this area.

Who is currently developing non-invasive glucose monitors?

• • • Nemaura Medical: This company has developed a device called sugarBEAT, which has received approval in Europe and has been submitted to the FDA for review in the U.S.  Sitting on your skin like a patch, sugarBEAT is a small device that measures your glucose continuously by running a slight, imperceptible electric current through your skin, which causes glucose to move within the interstitial fluid right below your skin. Early trial data from Nemaura Medical shows that sugarBEAT is very close to the accuracy of CGMs currently available on the market.
    • DiaMonTech: A biotechnology startup based in Germany, DiaMonTech is currently developing three versions of its non-invasive glucose monitor: The D-Base: A desktop device (roughly the size of a shoebox) intended for use by multiple people in a clinical setting; D-Pocket: A hand-held device that fits in the user’s pocket or handbag, on which you press your finger for a glucose measurement; D-sensor: An integrated sensor that can be worn as a bracelet.  All three use the same technology to gather glucose measurements, which the company coined “photothermal detection.” The sensor directs a beam of light onto the skin, which warms the glucose molecules in your skin very slightly (only around 1/1000 Celsius.) After a few seconds, the sensor gives a glucose reading based on absorption and reflection pattern of light.

• • • UK-based startup Rockley Photonics: One of Apple’s previous partners, had released a “clinic-on-the-wrist” health watch. However, the partnership has since been discontinued. The technology is quite similar to that used by DiaMonTech and could represent a huge addition to Apple’s health monitoring features in the near future. [I am currently in a trial at Rockley … trying to remain hopeful!]
    • Cnoga Medical: Cnoga is a digital healthcare startup based in Israel, which has developed a hybrid non-invasive monitor called the TensorTip Combo Glucometer (CoG). The device is referred to as “hybrid” since users must calibrate it with both invasive and non-invasive measurements for the first three days of use. After calibration, the device is completely non-invasive. Similar to other devices, CoG emits a small amount of light through your finger, which you insert into the device. As the light signal is absorbed and reflected by the glucose in your blood, the signal projects onto another camera and processes the signals using an AI algorithm to produce a glucose value. CoG is a small, portable device that has received CE clearance in Europe. The accuracy of the device still lags behind CGMs. 
    • GWave by Hagar: GWave is a non-invasive glucose monitor created by Hagar, also a startup based in Israel. It uses radio frequency waves to measure blood glucose continuously. This device has currently not received CE clearance or FDA approval.  In March 2023, the company announced early results from its ongoing clinical study which compared GWave readings to fingerstick measurements at various time points, yielding accuracy within a narrow glucose range (70-140 mg/dL). Hagar plans to start a larger clinical trial with 250 participants by the end of 2023 on adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes in Israel.
    • Know Labs: This Seattle-based startup has developed two non-invasive glucose sensors, both of which use a patented radio frequency wave technology called Bio-RFID: The KnowU: A pocket-size device that measures your glucose on-demand with a simple palm placement on the device., and The UBand: A continuous monitor that is worn on your wrist.  While still early in the process, data from early human trials are quite promising. When compared to fingerstick glucose measurements, the Bio-RFID measurements were reported to be well within the accuracy standards established by CGMs currently on the market.
    • Lassie by BOYDSense: Lassie is a prospective pocket-size device that measures glucose through the breath indirectly by measuring other compounds that the body produces from using glucose for energy. In a presentation at the ATTD 2023 annual conference in Berlin, Bruno Thuillier, founder and chief technology officer of BOYDSense, explained that the company is currently working on an algorithm that can calculate glucose levels based on measurements of specific compounds in the breath.

Other non-invasive glucose monitoring projects include:

• • • Lifeleaf, a continuous, real-time glucose monitor by LifePlus
    • Afon Technology, which is developing a wearable device for your wrist
    • Brolis Blood Analysis Sensor
    • GlucoBeam by RSP systems
    • K’Watch Glucose smartwatch by PKVitality

Read more: Non-Invasive Glucose Monitoring: Hope or Hype?

A better lancet in the age of CGM? Why PIP’s CEO Josh Pittman says sticks still matter chats on Diabetes Connections with Stacey Simms, 23 May 2023.  

When many diabetes tech companies are turning their attention to CGMs or closed-loop systems, Josh Pittman has his eye on the basics: lancets. His company PIP makes a new kind of smaller and thinner device for fingersticks.

This week, we talk about why he thinks this is still necessary, why he’s passionate about helping people overcome fingerstick fear, and what his mother with type 2 taught him about why the basics are so important to long-term care.

Splenda® CEO Responds to the World Health Organization (WHO) Guidance on Non-Sugar Sweeteners by Heartland Food Products Group for PRNewswire.com, 25 May 2023.

Dear Splenda Users,

Every few years now it seems I have to come to you and clarify misleading headlines. You may have seen some guidance issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding the long-term benefits of using non-sugar sweeteners. Let me clarify what the World Health Organization (WHO) actually said and what conclusions can be taken from it. This is in contrast to what the headlines read, and what you should know.

I will say it upfront, and you will hear it again throughout, that Splenda is a safe and effective alternative to sugar and is recommended every day by Healthcare Professionals to aid in weight loss and diabetes management. Suggesting that sweeteners like Splenda cannot have long-term benefits is a disservice to healthcare providers, their patients, and all consumers. Splenda Brand sweeteners have been extensively tested to show they are safe and effective.

The guidance from the WHO is (with a “low certainty” of evidence and a “conditional” recommendation, which means they were less than certain of the outcome of using their guidance; and without including any persons with prediabetes and diabetes in their consideration, which represents nearly 50% of the American population) that they do not recommend the long-term use of non-sugar sweeteners to achieve weight loss or to avoid non-communicable disease. That is the totality of the WHO guidance. I disagree with this guidance. The WHO does say that in the short term, using low- and no-calorie sweeteners have a benefit on weight loss.

That’s it, folks. With a low confidence level, that is the guidance. Now compare that to the headlines by the WHO, CNN, NY Post, and others.

At Splenda, we agree with the WHO recommendation about healthy eating and disagree with the WHO recommendation about non-sugar sweeteners. The WHO is right about the recommendation of healthy eating, and Splenda, and in particular, this CEO/Owner (Ted Gelov) agrees. We should all drink more water, eat more fruits and vegetables, and eat lower carbohydrate and lower saturated fats. Splenda is a family-owned brand and company. As a father of four children, three sons-in-law, and nine grandchildren, this is the same advice I give my family and from time to time frankly struggle to live by as well. So, on that point, the WHO is absolutely correct about healthy eating in my opinion.

Splenda Brand and NSS are safe and effective. They are highly effective when used to cut sugar. The WHO found that in the short term, they have a positive effect on weight loss, sugar reduction, and BMI. Non-sugar sweeteners have to be a part of your plan to be a healthier you, but not the sole solution. We all know this and agree. The fact that over longer periods of time a lot of people fall away from their health goals is not news. We at the Splenda Brand though see the success stories every day from people who use Splenda Brand sweeteners to achieve their goals. They changed the way they live and eat. You can do it too.

Read more: Splenda® CEO Responds to the World Health Organization (WHO) Guidance on Non-Sugar Sweeteners

Loneliness, the new old epidemic by Riva Greenberg for DiabetesStories.com, 21 May 2023.  

This is not a post about diabetes, except indirectly. I am reading more and more articles about how many people in the US, and worldwide, are lonely. In the US the number is one out of every two Americans is experiencing some measurable level of loneliness. In the US, in my mind, it’s a direct result of our win/loss, individualistic, go-it-alone, pull yourself up by your bootstraps, car and cowboy culture.

April 30th the New York Times printed this guest essay from our Surgeon General, Vivek H. Murthy, “Surgeon General: We Have Become a Lonely Nation. It’s Time to Fix That.” If you don’t subscribe to the Times, the main takeaway was how disconnected we’ve become from each other; young people move away from their parents, are on their phones constantly, neighbors don’t know each other, and health difficulties without support can often tip loneliness into depression.

Mary Mulvihill of New York is the founder of Seniors Taking Action. She referred to what’s called “talking or chat benches,” which are common in the U.K. and Australia and according to Mary spreading across the world. These are designated benches in parks and common areas, often pained a different color designating them as places where anyone can take a seat and chat with whoever may be sitting there.

Read more: Loneliness, the new old epidemic

The Emotional Impact of Negative Language in People With Diabetes, a study by Jane K. Dickinson, Susan J. Guzman, and Jennalee S. Wooldridge, published in The Science of Diabetes Self-management and Care, 13 April 2023.

Purpose: Explore the emotional experience of people with diabetes as they encounter words and phrases that have been previously identified as problematic and evaluate potential differences in their emotional impact based on the type of diabetes and demographic characteristics.

Results: People with diabetes reported feeling blamed, misunderstood, hopeless, judged, not motivated, and not trusting in response to “non-compliant,” “unmotivated,” “in denial,” “preventable,” “failed,” “should,” “uncontrolled,” “what did you do wrong,” and “you could end up blind or on dialysis.” Participants who have type 1 diabetes and are female, White, more educated, and younger reported more negative feelings about the target words.

Conclusion: People with diabetes experience highly negative affective responses when they read and hear previously identified words and phrases considered to be judgmental and unhelpful.

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