Credit Suisse https://www.credit-suisse.com analysts attended the annual meeting of the “American Association of Diabetes Educators” (ADDE) https://www.diabeteseducator.org. They spoke with thought leaders and manufacturers on the trends in diabetes care and the impact of medical technology to enable patients to manage their disease. According to Credit Suisse’s discussions at ADDE, diabetes technology remains one of the most disruptive markets in medical technology.
This market has been driven by the confluence of rapid innovation, increasing engagement with regulators and insurers, availability, affordability, and patient familiarity with mobile technologies. It is estimated that the market for diabetes devices will roughly double in size over the next six years to $15 billion.
Many of the diabetes educators at ADDE are looking forward to Abbott’s “Libre 2 the new sensor. They expect the new features like alerts and the customized alarms to improve accuracy, are expected to change the way Libre is used by patients and care providers.
Timing remains uncertain and accuracy will need to be validated, but most educators and providers look forward to the various ways Abbott’s Libre 2 will be able to improve the way patients manage their disease and potentially further expand the market.
Dexcom’s G6 CGM system is the preferred sensor by many educators and the preferred traditional or external sensor able to provide real-time alerts for type 1 diabetes patients in order to alleviate their concerns about their blood sugar moving out of range.
The general consensus is that these sensors will get more accurate. At the moment, the implantable Eversense sensor from SENS is considered the most accurate by educators but greater adoption is expected when the sensor is approved for periods like 6 months or 12 months.
It is thought by many that emerging innovators such as TidePool continue to move toward finalizing their filing of their algorithm with FDA. Others achievements include Glooco continuing to roll out their “Mobile Insulin Dosing System”, (MIDS) algorithm for long acting insulin, Another company Companion, continues commercialization of their Bluetooth-enabled insulin smart pen. Other companies such as Bigfoot, and Beta Bionics are continuing to make progress toward commercialization and expansion.
The AADE agenda featured many sessions and discussions emphasizing peer groups, online interactions, group training, and other methods for improving uptake and sustained adoption of technology. The agenda emphasized reaching underserved populations and communities to include remote areas and minority populations.
Also noted, population health efforts are ongoing and on the rise to help drive access, adoption, and improving outcomes. A key initiative such as the National Diabetes Prevention Program a partnership of public and private organizations, is working to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes,
CDC’s Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) service model is another initiative targeted towards improving care and outcomes for people with diabetes. CDC reports that DSMES has been shown to be cost effective by reducing hospital admissions and readmissions.
After talking to attendees, Credit Suisse foresees the demand and the adoption of diabetes technology to increase and the development of partnerships to remain an important growth driver in diabetes technology over the next several years.
For more information or to provide feedback, contact Matt Miksic at matt.miksic@credit-suisse.com (212-325-4381), or Vik Chopra at vik.chopra@credit-suisse.com (212-325-1749).