Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) said today that it’s done with a global user evaluation program for a next-generation insulin pump system as it pursues the Holy Grail of diabetes: The artificial pancreas.
The Fridley, Minn.-based medical device giant said its new closed-loop pump platform, which features its predictive low glucose management algorithm, "represents a key step toward development of an artificial pancreas."
The PLGM function is designed to detect low glucose levels and suspend insulin delivery until glucose levels recover, according to a press release. Medtronic said it’s already making the new pump and plans to introduce it in "select countries" in early 2015.
A U.S. pivotal trial of the PLGM function is under way in the U.S.
"By delivering on our commitments to drive technical innovations around the world, we aim to transform diabetes care so that more people living with diabetes can enjoy greater freedom and experience better health," intensive insulin management general manager Alejandro Galindo said in prepared remarks.
Medtronic said it’s committed to developing a fully automated artificial pancreas that would automatically adjust insulin levels "based on sensor glucose levels with very little interaction from the patient."