Medtronic, Sanofi Team Up To Develop Novel Diabetes Drug-Device Combos
By Jof Enriquez,
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Medtronic and French pharmaceutical firm Sanofi have announced a global strategic alliance focused on diabetes. The two companies will pool their resources and expertise to create new drug-device combinations and bolstering care management services aimed at improving adherence, simplifying insulin treatment, and helping diabetes patients better manage their condition.
The collaboration will “pair Sanofi’s extensive insulin portfolio and drug development expertise with Medtronic’s expertise in insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring,” the companies said in a joint statement made during a conference of the American Diabetes Association in San Francisco. “One of the priorities of the alliance will be to deliver novel drug-device combinations, including new form factors that are affordable, convenient and easy to-use to increase therapy adherence and deliver better outcomes.”
The specifics of the deal, including financial terms, were not disclosed. The companies said in their statement that they have yet to hammer out a definitive agreement to expand an earlier pact that offers an implantable insulin delivery system for patients with type 1 diabetes in Europe. The new worldwide deal is targeted at type 2 diabetes, the more common form of the condition.
Medtronic, which is moving its base from the U.S. to Ireland, is upping its stake in the $40 billion global market for diabetes care. It has a range of glucose monitoring meters and insulin pumps, as well as the MiniMed 530G artificial pancreas device for type 1 diabetics, according to Bloomberg.
“Medtronic is committed to taking a broader approach, expanding beyond our core strength in type 1 diabetes, to co-develop an array of technologies and patient services that will deliver superior clinical outcomes at an affordable price,” Omar Ishrak, chairman and CEO of Medtronic, said in the statement. “We also know we can’t do it alone — so we are particularly excited to join in this effort with Sanofi who, like us, is committed to exploring new avenues and approaches to solving the challenges associated with diabetes.”
Sanofi is exploring other areas for growth as it braces for next year’s patent expiration of its best-selling, most-prescribed Lantus insulin product, according to Reuters. The company has its own blood sugar meters but is keen on partnering with Medtronic to make new diabetes devices that stand out in the market.
“Through this important collaboration, Sanofi will tap into technology advances that aim to create holistic treatment solutions which take into account the individual patient’s needs,” Pascale Witz, EVP of global divisions and strategic development for Sanofi, said in the statement.
The alliance will also feature care management services, specifically the implementation of a joint program to educate type 2 diabetics who fail to maintain blood sugar control using oral therapies during the initial phase of insulin treatment, according to the Wall Street Journal.
By combining their expertise, Sanofi and Medtronic aim to increase patients’ compliance in round-the-clock blood sugar monitoring and insulin therapy to prevent disease complications.
“Patients don’t really prick their finger enough during the day,” Sanofi CEO Chris Viehbacher, referring to the method of obtaining a blood sample for a glucose meter, told Bloomberg. “If you don’t get that right, because of the progressive nature of the disease, you’re not getting full control of it. If you don’t control it, you develop these neuropathies that lead to blindness, that lead to amputation.”
Reuters cites International Diabetes Federation data that counts 382 million diabetics worldwide, up to 95 percent of whom have type 2 diabetes. Over 5 million people die every year from complications, and the global incidence of diabetes is expected to rise further due to obesity and sedentary lifestyles.
Image credit: Medtronic