Medtronic of Canada, a subsidiary of Medtronic has secured a licence from Health Canada for the MiniMed 670G system, which is the first insulin pump system in Canada that helps to stabilize glucose levels 24 hours a day by automatically adjusting basal insulin delivery based on real-time insulin needs.
Image: Medtronic Operational Headquarters. Photo: courtesy of Medtronic.
This new system allows people with type 1 diabetes to take greater control of their disease through increasing levels of automation that minimize exposure to both high and low blood glucose levels.
The MiniMed 670G system combines the company’s most advanced SmartGuard algorithm and most accurate continuous glucose monitor (CGM), the Guardian Sensor 3, to provide simplified diabetes management for Canadians seven years of age and older living with type 1 diabetes.
By delivering a variable rate of basal insulin 24 hours a day based on the personalized needs of the patient, the system mimics some of the functions of a healthy pancreas with less patient interaction.
As a result, users experience increased Time in Range (the amount of time people living with diabetes spend in the optimal glycemic range of 3.9–10 mmol/L), with fewer high and low blood glucose levels.
Medtronic Canada Diabetes Group senior director Laura Cameron said: “We are very pleased to bring the MiniMed 670G insulin pump system to Canada this fall. For more than 30 years Medtronic has been serving and supporting the Diabetes community. The long-standing collaboration and insights from many health care professionals and patient groups has contributed to this milestone in the evolution of insulin delivery — the world’s first self-adjusting insulin pump system.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to provide this latest innovation in diabetes management to Canadians, and remain committed to helping make patient’s lives a little easier.”
Data from the pivotal trial of the MiniMed 670G system published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) demonstrated less glycemic variability and reduced A1C for patients on the system. Notably, real-world data presented on more than 2 million patient days at the American Diabetes Association conference in June this year showed an average Time in Range of 70.7% across all age groups for those using the system’s most advanced SmartGuard algorithm. The results also showed reduced hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, consistent with results from the pivotal trial.
Queen’s University endocrinology division professor and chair and 2018 Diabetes Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines chair Robyn Houlden said: “The MiniMed 670G system with SmartGuard hybrid closed loop (HCL) algorithm is the first and only insulin pump system that constantly self-adjusts basal insulin. It answers many of the current challenges in managing type 1 diabetes by minimizing blood glucose variability and maximizing time in target range.
“It will usher in a new era in diabetes management that empowers patients to confidently optimize their blood glucose control.”
About 300,000 Canadians live with type 1 diabetes and could be eligible for this groundbreaking technology. Health Canada has licensed the system for use in people with type 1 diabetes seven years of age and older. Medtronic is expecting to begin commercial release of the MiniMed 670G system in Canada in fall this year.
Time in Range refers to the percentage of time people with type 1 diabetes spend in the optimal glycemic range of 3.9-10 mmol/L (70-180 mg/dL). The goal with diabetes management is to increase time spent in this healthy range and to minimize high and low blood glucose levels which can lead to both immediate and long-term complications such as damage to blood vessels — increasing the risk of coronary artery disease, heart attack, and stroke. Damage to blood vessels can also lead to loss of vision, kidney disease, and nerve problems. Increasing the ‘Time in Range’ over the long-term can be accomplished by using advances in diabetes technologies, like the MiniMed 670G system with SmartGuard algorithm, which automates basal insulin delivery.
Source: Company Press Release