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 published just five months ago, the artificial pancreas is as small as a cell phone and worn externally, with thin tubing inserted beneath the skin and changed out every few days. The new study found that Medtronic's device kept people with type 1 within their desired blood-sugar range 72 percent of the time, compared to 67 percent of the time when controlling their own insulin dosing. That may not seem like much, but it comes without the person having to fuss over how much insulin to take, a huge benefit when dealing with a lifelong illness.