DexCom partner with Google for new diabetes products

DexCom Inc, a manufacturer of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems, has partnered with Google Life Sciences to develop new CGM products.
The deal will incorporate Google’s miniaturised electronics platform with DexCom’s sensor technology. The companies plan for this next generation of devices to be smaller than current CGMS, and be used by people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
The products are designed to be disposable, in which a low-cost, bandage-sized sensor connects online to the cloud, replacing the fingerstick glucometer. This will enable data to be better utilised by users and health care teams, and reduce costs associated with diabetes care.
Kevin Sayer, President and Chief Executive Officer of DexCom, announced that the first product developed under this collaboration can be expected within two to three years.
DexCom hope the new CGMs will target people with type 2 diabetes who monitor their blood glucose levels on glucometers which require test strips, when a CGM isn’t appropriate. By wearing this new CGM for a shorter amount of time, DexCom believes type 2 patients will be more able to assess how effective their therapy is and improve their diabetes management.
DexCom EVP of Strategy and Product Development Steve Pacelli said: “Five plus years from now, our goal would be to have a sensor that would be something that’s miniaturized, that looks more like a bandage than a medical device, that’s fully disposable.”
Andrew Conrad, head of the life sciences team at Google, added: “We’re committed to developing new technologies that will help move health care from reactive to proactive. This collaboration is another step towards expanding monitoring options and making it easier for people with diabetes to proactively manage their health.”