Insulet (NSDQ:PODD) said today that it’s launching a clinical trial of an artificial pancreas system based on its flagship Omnipod insulin management device for treating Type I diabetes.
The Omnipod Horizon automated glucose control system will link the Omnipod with continuous glucose monitoring technology from DXCM, Billerica, Mass.-based Insulet said. The 20-patient trial is designed to evaluate a “model predictive control” algorithm it acquired from a University of California-Santa Barbara spinout earlier this year. The software “looks toward the future horizon of blood glucose levels” to adjust insulin delivery, the company said today.
“Our new Omnipod Horizon system is designed to deliver not only improved clinical outcomes, but the greatly desired improvement in quality of life for those living with insulin-dependent diabetes,” president & CEO Patrick Sullivan said in prepared remarks. “With the 1st clinical study of our innovative artificial pancreas underway, we have taken another important step in fulfilling our mission to improve the lives of people with diabetes.”
“We are very excited to be participating in Insulet’s artificial pancreas clinical trials,” added Dr. Jordan Pinsker of Santa Barbara’s William Sansum Diabetes Center. “Working with Professor Francis J. Doyle III and Dr. Eyal Dassau, Sansum played a major role in the development of the original UC Santa Barbara artificial pancreas algorithm that Insulet acquired. We look forward to contributing to the clinical and development pathway as Insulet takes this promising technology to a commercial product.”
