This story was delivered to Business Insider Intelligence Digital Health Pro subscribers earlier this morning.To get this story plus others to your inbox each day, hours before they're published on Business Insider, click here.Medtech giants Dexcom and Abbott tied up with insulin pump maker Insulet in separate partnerships that involve integrating Insulet's Omnipod insulin delivery system with their continuous glucose monitors (CGMs),according to MobiHealthNews.For context, CGMs keep tabs on diabetics' blood sugar levels throughout the day and alert them of unsafe levels, and Insulet's systemutilizes a tube-free, wearable "Pod" that delivers insulin to patients for 72 hours at a time.Both Insulet partnerships build on the competing medtech giants' efforts to build out their portfolio of connected tech offerings.Dexcom's move suggests that it's iterating its offerings in preparation to start selling its CGM products directly to consumers.In late January, Dexcom CEO Kevin Sayernotedthat the medtech giant would "at some point in time... launch a direct-to-consumer effort" for its CGM systems. For context, Dexcom currentlyreachesUS patients by way of their insurance.And Dexcom is starting to iterate its products to be more attractive to consumers: The medtech titan will integrate Insulet's system with two of its CGM systems, enabling patients to automatically adjust their insulin doses from their smartphones. And on top of that, we think that Dexcom's position as a leader in theCGM space and the consumer mindshare accompanying itcombined with its plans for a limited rollout of alower-costCGM some time this year put the medtech titan in good shape to lure potential customers to a future DTC CGM system.And the Insulet tie-up follows Abbott's recent win with the FDA in the connected device spacemaking it a fast-growing competitor among medtech giants pursuing the market.Data from Abbott's CGM will be sent to Insulet's wearableinsulin pump, which will automatically adjust users' insulin delivery accordingly.Customers can can also use a smartphone app to deliver additional doses of fast-acting insulin before meals. This integration comes on the heels of Abbott'sexpandedFDA clearance for its connected Deep Brain Stimulation system for Parkinson'sand Abbott's progress in the connected device space could give it a competitive edge in this market, which represents one of thefastest-growingsegments in medicine.Medtech companies have been working to create an automated insulin delivery system that requires minimal action from patientsand these integrations put both firms one step closer to this goal.We've seen medtech companies go toe-to-toe in their efforts to develop a closed-loop systemor "artificial pancreas"to more effectivelymanage diabetes.For context, a closed-looped systemleveragesa CGM and an insulin pump to control a patient's insulin levels with little action required from the patient. We saw medtech competitor MedtronicearnFDA breakthrough designation in February 2019 for its closed-loop system that utilizes AI to personalize the artificial pancreas for users, for example.The recent Insulet tie-ups are concrete next steps for both Dexom and Abbott in developing a viable artificial pancreasand if either can launch their integrated system to a wide audience, they'd quickly become attractive partners for insurers: A viable artificial pancreas could significantly reduce the$237 billionthe US spends on diabetes care annuallywhich insurers would likely find appealing as they work to slash their portion of spending on members with diabetes.Want to read more stories like this one' Here's how to get access: Sign up for Digital Health Pro, Business Insider Intelligence's expert product suite keeping you up-to-date on the people, technologies, trends, and companies shaping the future of healthcare, delivered to your inbox 6x a week. >> Get StartedCheck to see if you already have access to Business Insider Intelligence through your company, or inquire about access if you don't. >> Check If You Have Enterprise AccessExplore related topics in more depth. >> Visit Our Report StoreCurrent subscribers can log in to read the briefing here.Join the conversation about this story
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