Abbott Diabetes Care teams up with Bigfoot Biomedical to develop methods for diabetes management

Abbott Diabetes Care, which makes blood glucose meters has joined forces with Bigfoot Biomedical, which specializes in providing insulin delivering solutions.

The next generation of Abott’s FreeStyle Libre glucose sensing technology will be given to Bigfoot so it can use the technology to create a pioneering approach to diabetes care and help eliminate much of the daily burden of diabetes management.

At the moment Bigfoot is currently developing both injection and infusion pump-based insulin delivery systems. These revolutionary systems combine connectivity, machine learning automation and smartphone technology to adjust insulin delivery. It is thought the first version of the Abbott and Bigfoot device will be available for clinical research sites to trial as early as next year.

According to the news reported by Diabetes.co.uk, the global diabetes community, people with type 1 diabetes and some with type 2 diabetes must regularly inject insulin in a bid to control their blood sugar levels. For some, this can be a cumbersome task as it must be carried out several times a day.

Senior vice president of Abbot Diabetes Care said: "Diabetes is increasing at record rates globally. There is a significant demand for tools that are intuitive and easy to use to help people take control of this complicated, challenging condition, but innovation in this area has been slow.

"Together with Bigfoot, we are challenging conventional methods of diabetes management by bringing together our expertise in superior glucose monitoring technology with a best-in-class insulin delivery system that is designed with the patient in mind. This will fundamentally transform the way diabetes is managed."

Jeffrey Brewer, Bigfoot Biomedical president and chief executive officer, said: "Both Abbott and Bigfoot understand the real-world use of diabetes devices. A no-calibration glucose sensor is the final piece of the puzzle needed to enable consumer-friendly and accessible integrated insulin delivery systems.

"Our companies have a shared commitment to developing products that are patient focused - simple, convenient, discreet, affordable and provide actionable information. We could not be more excited to be collaborating with Abbott's outstanding team in bringing new innovations to people with diabetes."