The technology will determine how people with insulin-requiring diabetes respond to a particular insulin dose, and offers a recommended adjustment based on the body’s response, to support healthcare professionals (HCPs) improve the diabetes
Bigfoot Unity diabetes management system. (Credit: Bigfoot Biomedical, Inc.)
US-based medical technology start-up Bigfoot Biomedical has acquired a learning algorithm for the titration of insulin settings, developed at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.
The algorithm will capture responses from people with insulin-requiring diabetes, to a particular insulin dose, and offers a recommended adjustment based on the body’s response.
It was designed to support healthcare professionals (HCPs) improve diabetes care by helping their patients know the accurate dosage and timing of insulin infusion, said the company.
McGill University has conducted an in-silico retrospective study to assess the algorithm’s ability to predict appropriate insulin dosing adjustments.
In the study, which used the university’s algorithm to Bigfoot Unity user data from 20 patients, the algorithm accurately predicted how the patient’s HCP adjusted their insulin dose.
McGill University biomedical engineering and medicine associate professor Ahmad Haider said: “As a scientist, there’s no greater reward than seeing your innovations have a concrete, meaningful impact on society.
“I’m thrilled at the opportunity to see Bigfoot Biomedical, with its strong commitment to simplifying diabetes management, bring our technology to people with insulin-requiring diabetes, a condition that impacts an estimated 72 million people worldwide.”
Bigfoot Biomedical is focused on intelligent connected injection support systems and it currently offers Bigfoot Unity diabetes management system.
Bigfoot Unity is an easy-to-use system that leverages continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) data to provide personalised dosing recommendations for people with diabetes.
The company is preparing to roll out the device through the pharmacy channel, later this year.
Bigfoot Biomedical said that the commercial model will allow the device to be prescribed within a prescriber’s workflow and their patients can get it with a simple co-payment.
Bigfoot Biomedical CEO Jeffrey Brewer said: “The retrospective study performed by the McGill University team demonstrates strong promise for the algorithm’s ability to help further simplify diabetes management.
“We look forward to the responsibility of taking the necessary next steps to bring their innovation to the diabetes community, including research and development to incorporate the algorithm into the Bigfoot Unity platform and collaborating with the FDA on the appropriate regulatory pathway.”