Switzerland’s Debiotech wants to blend continuous glucose monitoring technology made by an Oregon outfit into its JewelPump disposable insulin patch pump, a move toward a functioning artificial pancreas.
The Lausanne-based company announced an option to grab exclusive rights to CGM intellectual property developed by iSense CGM of Wilsonville, Ore.
Neither side is disclosing financial details. Assuming it goes ahead with the exclusive rights option, Debiotech is looking at combining iSense-made sensors into its JewelPump device and related "all-in-one" remote control communication device.
Debiotech would develop the blended product, and then commercialize it through partners of its choosing, according to a press release.
JewelPump is a miniature patch pump that carries 500U insulin for up to 7 days. It is filled once and discarded after it runs out, but the remote control smartphone unit lasts for 2 years, according to the company.
Debiotech president & CEO Frédéric Neftel said the deal reflects the strategic goal of developing a "discreet and cost-effective" closed-loop device that combines "the most accurate solutions available in both worlds of patch-pumps and continuous glucose monitoring."
Richard Sass, chairman & CEO at iSense, offered similar comments about the partnership’s potential, saying in prepared remarks that he’s "excited to be partners for the realization of a world-class artificial pancreas that we all know to be the ‘Holy Grail’ for diabetes."
"Tight management and control of blood sugar will reduce complications and improve quality of life for people with diabetes," Sass said.
A number of medtech companies are focused on developing some sort of artificial pancreas, which would combine an insulin pump and continuous glucose monitoring, among other advances.
In April, for example, Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) licensed artificial pancreas technology from Israel’s DreaMed Diabetes that it plans to integrate into its insulin pumps. The tech is an automated system for controlling glucose levels.
Last November, the FDA approved new artificial pancreas software for Dexcom‘s (NSDQ:DXCM) G4 Platinum continuous glucose monitor.