Diabeloop introduces artificial pancreas technology adapted for children

Diabeloop recently presented a version of its DBLG1 hybrid closed-loop system developed for children with diabetes at the Consumer Technology Association’s annual Consumer Electronics Show, showcasing the system’s machine learning capabilities to predict blood glucose levels and automatically deliver insulin doses in a pediatric population, according to a press release from the company.

As Endocrine Today previously reported, Diabeloop received CE marking in November for its DBLG1 hybrid closed-loop system, the second so-called artificial pancreas to receive such a designation in Europe. According to the company, clinical trials of the pediatric version are slated to begin in Belgium and France later this year.

“In adapting its DBLG1 automated insulin delivery system for adults ... to children, Diabeloop wants to boost pediatric care and improve the short-term quality of life and overall longevity of children while relieving their loved ones of the stress of managing the disease on a daily basis,” the company stated in the release.

The DBLG1 hybrid closed-loop system connects DexCom’s G6 continuous glucose monitor system, Kaleido’s patch insulin pump and an algorithm to a user’s phone to predict blood glucose levels and command the insulin pump at an optimal rate, according to the company.

The company now plans to move toward a new funding round to support international scaling of the system, according to Marc Julien, co-CEO and chief financial officer of Diabeloop.

“We hope to do all that by the second quarter of 2019,” Julien said in the release.

In study data presented at the Endocrine Society Annual Meeting in 2018, researchers reported that children aged 7 to 13 years with type 1 diabetes who used an artificial pancreas system for 3 months experienced a reduction in HbA1c and an improvement in time to glucose values in the target range, without any episodes of severe hypoglycemia or diabetic ketoacidosis. In that study, which used the Medtronic 670G, researchers noted an improvement in HbA1c from a mean of 7.9% to 7.5% over 3 months, as well as improvements in variability of sensor glucose values. Time spent in the target blood glucose range of 71 mg/dL to 180 mg/dL increased from 56% to 65% in the pediatric group over 3 months of use.

Currently, the only FDA-approved hybrid closed-loop system is the Medtronic 670G. The Omnipod Horizon system (Insulet) and Tandem Control IQ system are both in development. – by Regina Schaffer