FDA Approves First Artificial Pancreas Faster Than Anyone Expected

The MiniMed 670G hybrid closed-loop system. (Credit: Medtronic) "My guess is that even Medtronic is surprised." So said Jeffrey Brewer, the visionary tech entrepreneur who has been leading efforts to bring an artificial pancreas to market for a decade, in response to the unexpected news on Sept. 28 that the Food and Drug Administration approved one developed by Medtronic, already a leading manufacturer of insulin pumps. A mere two weeks earlier, results were released of the largest and longest study yet of the device that fuses two existing technologies — an insulin pump and a continuous glucose monitor that measures blood-sugar levels 24/7 — together with a computer algorithm that permits automatic delivery of insulin for people with type 1 diabetes. The most severe form of the disease, type 1 diabetes is diagnosed when a person's biological pancreas stops producing nearly all insulin. As described in Discover in an article ...