NEWS
MINIMED 780G CE MARK
LOW COST INSULIN IN THE US
Medtronic has secured a CE
(Conformité Européenne) Mark
for MiniMed™ 780G Advanced
Hybrid Closed Loop System.
The next generation closed loop
insulin pump system features
auto-correction algorithm and
bluetooth connectivity, designed
to further simplify Type 1 diabetes
management
The system automates the
delivery of both basal insulin
and correction boluses every
five minutes to help people with
diabetes avoid highs and lows
with greater ease. The MiniMed
780G system enables the
personalization of glucose goals with an
adjustable target setting as low as 100
mg/dL (5.5 mmol/L) - lower than any
other advanced hybrid closed loop system
- and is designed to help stabilize blood
sugar levels and further improve glucose
control.
In addition to the automated algorithm
which includes technology from DreaMed
Diabetes, the MiniMed 780G system was
designed to be easy to use by requiring
less input from the user. With the addition
of Bluetooth connectivity, the MiniMed
780G system will enable users and their
care partners to see real-time glucose
data and trends on compatible iOS and
Android smartphones via apps. The
system is expected to begin shipping later
this year in select countries in the EU.
www.medtronic.com
The American Diabetes Association
(ADA) and the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services (CMS) have announced
a Part D Senior Savings Model, which will
limit the cost of insulin for participating
seniors to a maximum of $35 for a 30day supply.
People with diabetes account for one
of every three dollars spent on drugs in
the United States, and they spend about
2.5 times more on healthcare expenses
than other Americans. The ADA has been
pressing federal and state policymakers
for years to help lower the cost of insulin
and other drugs for people living with
diabetes - 7m of whom are insulindependent. The CMS savings program
is the first federal measure to drive insulin
costs down.
"Together, we are helping 3.3m seniors
access insulin more affordably," said
Tracey D. Brown, CEO of the American
Diabetes Association, "The American
Diabetes Association is committed to
continuing the fight to make insulin and
other drugs more affordable so that
people living with diabetes can thrive,
particularly in these challenging times."
Spirit Health has
adapted its structured
diabetes education
programme
EMPOWER from
face-to-face meetings
to a virtual service
using video calls as
a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Spirit
now runs three courses a week for up
to 20 newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes
patients across the UK.
Claire Pridige, Education Service
Manager, Spirit Health, explains: "It's so
important to be able to support newly
diagnosed diabetes patients, many
of whom will be anxious about their
condition, and arguably even more so than
usual during this time. Two of our trained
diabetes educators have been able to
convert rooms in their homes to provide
the specialist education online, using
video conferencing and chat facilities to
help engage patients and encourage
dialogue, which is an important part of
the programme. So far, the feedback we
have received has been overwhelmingly
positive."
EMPOWER was designed specifically
for people with newly diagnosed Type
2 diabetes. It consists of a structured
curriculum delivered in a single session
lasting 3-4 hours. The lesson plan
encourages active and practical
involvement of participants, along with
the use of problem-solving models,
aids identification, and planning of
individualised strategies and interventions
to help patients self-manage their
diabetes. Participants set goals, and
clinical and biometric data are captured at
6 and 12-to-14 months by patients' GPs.
www.spirit-health.co.uk
T2S
EMPOWERED