Medtronic and Abbott make progress on interoperable diabetes tech—is FDA clearance next?
Medtronic and Abbott, two of the world’s leading medtech companies, have made significant progress in their collaboration focused on improving care for patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
The companies have been working together to develop new continuous glucose monitor (CGM) technology that will use Abbott’s own FreeStyle Libre sensors and work exclusively with Medtronic’s smart insulin delivery systems and software. Less than one year after their partnership was announced to the public, the companies have already reached a major milestone.
Medtronic announced that it has now submitted two 510(k) applications to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for interoperable pump technology that will work with Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre sensors. One application is for Medtronic’s MiniMed 780G pump to be used as an alternate controller enabled insulin pump, and the other is for its SmartGuard algorithm to be used as an interoperable automated glycemic controller.
“We understand how meaningful these advancements are, and we're working with urgency to bring enhanced CGM options to our customers,” Que Dallara, executive vice president and president of Medtronic’s diabetes division, said in a statement. “This collaboration with Abbott marks an important step forward in providing innovative solutions and more choice for our customers.”
According to Medtronic, additional details will be announced after FDA clearance is secured.
A closer look at Medtronic and Abbott’s partnership
The two companies first announced this partnership back in August 2024, emphasizing the importance of improving patient access to high-quality CGM technology. The partnership covers both automated insulin delivery and multiple daily injection systems, and any final products cleared by the FDA will be sold exclusively by Medtronic.
“Our partnership with Abbott allows us to expand access to our advanced automated insulin delivery and Smart MDI systems that deliver best-in-class outcomes with the most widely used CGM in the world,” Dallara said at the time of the initial announcement.
“This partnership pairs two global leaders in glucose sensing technology and insulin delivery,” added Jared Watkin, executive vice president of Abbott's diabetes care business, in a separate statement. “Libre technology has set the standard for accurate, accessible, easy-to-use and reliable continuous glucose monitoring. Connecting this CGM built for Medtronic's advanced insulin delivery systems and algorithms makes it easier for people to spend less time thinking about their diabetes and more time living.”
Financial terms of this arrangement have not been shared by either company.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.