On the occasion of World Diabetes Day, the French company Diabeloop published the results of the latest study on its artificial pancreas. It could be available for sale as early as 2018.
An artificial pancreas to improve the treatment and quality of life of diabetics. Diabeloop has taken up the challenge and its innovation could be on the market as early as next year. The latest results of studies show good system efficiency: a 60% increase in the time spent in the correct blood sugar values, a 2/3 drop in the time spent in hypoglycemia, and a decrease in half of the time spent in hyperglycemia. .
The device should now obtain the CE mark, which indicates that it complies with European requirements. “The process is underway, we can hope for a launch on the European market in the first quarter or half of 2018”, explains Dr Guillaume Charpentier, president of the Research Center for the intensification of diabetes treatment (CETRID) and president of Diabeloop. .
Next issue, reimbursement
The artificial pancreas is an insulin pump that you wear, and a sensor placed by patch on the body. They are managed by an artificial intelligence algorithm which is connected to a dedicated smartphone. “We go from manual piloting to a kind of automatic piloting”, adds the doctor. “It’s a fantastic hope for the sick, because we have diabetes all the time, there is no vacation! “
After its launch on the European market, it will however be necessary to wait one or two years for the device to be supported. “We asked mutuals so that, during this period, they finance part or all of the cost”, assures Dr Guillaume Charpentier. The artificial pancreas is expected to cost around 9,000 euros per patient per year. Only 10% more than the current cost of an insulin pump with continuous sensor.
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