American
Diabetes Association's 69th Scientific Sessions
Use of an insulin pump could become the preferred therapy for patients
with type 2 diabetes who are not at goal, as pump therapy can improve glucose
control and quality of life, Bruce W. Bode, MD, said at a symposium
Saturday morning.
Further development of simple pumps for these patients is warranted,
said Bode, a diabetes specialist at the Atlanta Diabetes Associates. Currently,
about 4.5 million people with type 2 diabetes are using insulin; 37,000 are on
pump therapy, he said.
A recent 14-center trial found that patients treated with pump therapy
“clearly preferred it.” Bode said that further research should
address the best candidates for pump therapy and whether its use is cost
effective.
Patch pumps offer a “whole new dimension to pumping,” Nancy
J. Bohannon, MD, a physician at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center
in San Francisco, said at the symposium.
The first patch pump – the OmniPod (Insulet) – was launched in
2005 for patients with type 1 diabetes. The addition of the Personal Diabetes
Manager enhanced the data download capabilities.
Several start-up companies are pursuing the growing market for an
interest in patch pumps, with development focusing on size of the device, ease
of use, download and monitoring capabilities, size of the reservoir, type of
filling mechanism and other features.
Bohannon reviewed several patch pumps now in various stages of
development. The list includes:
- Finesse (Calibra Medical): delivers bolus insulin or pramlitide.
- V-Go (Valeritas): is a once-daily disposable insulin delivery system
for type 2 diabetes.
- Solo (Medingo): has a three-month life, electronically
controlled.
- Freehand (MedSolve Technologies): is remote controlled, 80% smaller
than OmniPod.
- Insulin NanoPump (ST Microelectronics and Debiotech): has large
reservoir, miniaturized system.
- Altea Therapeutics: is developing a 12-hour and 24-hour patch.
- Medtronic: is developing a patch delivery system.
According to Christopher Sadler, a physician assistant at Diabetes and
Endocrine Associates in La Jolla, Calif., pump technology has made important
advances in recent years, including improved screens with higher resolution,
comfortable infusion sets, tactile bolusing and safety alarms.
Development of pumps that are “cool” is vital to patient
adoption of the therapy. “Colors are a big deal” to many patients,
and pumps are now available with the logo of a favorite baseball team,
SpongeBob SquarePants graphics or a personalized photograph, Sadler said.
The Charmr iPump is one example of concept pump that is very small and
can be worn like a necklace. If the blood glucose level is normal, the user
sees a sunny sky on the screen; if the level is off, storm clouds appear. The
touch screen is very simple to use and is interactive, he said.
Other concept pumps include the Tolea pump that has inviting graphics
and colors; the Flex insulin pump that has a very low profile and moves and
flexes with the patient; and the OLED screen that makes batteries last much
longer. - by Kathy Holliman
For more information:
