Re: [IP] Disetronic should just throw in the towel (new products coming)
Recently I was in the process of upgrading my 4.5 year-old, out-of-warranty
Animas R1000, and I met with reps from MiniMed, Animas, and Cozmo. All of what I
am relaying comes from my conversations with them.
MiniMed: The 522/722 has been out in Europe since last year and it is now
available in Canada. This model integrates your insulin pump with a continuous
glucose monitor. The rep guessed that it would be coming onto the US market
sometime in the next 6-8 months. (All of the reps in the Mid-Atlantic were
pulled out of the field recently to get info on the new pump/glucose monitors;
the last time that happened, it was about 6 months before the new product was
rolled out.) He also indicated that the company was working with insurance
carriers to get the new pump covered before it hits the market--and finally, the
pump was going to be phased in slowly to ensure that supplies wouldn't run out.
Cozmo: No groundbreaking new technology to report. I did really like some of
the features on this pump, though--and it was the most user-friendly, IMO.
Animas: The rep actually showed me a prototype of the new micro pump. It's
truly amazing--slightly smaller "footprint" than a business card, and it has an
oval shape. It's very thin, perhaps a quarter of an inch. The size is similar to
two matchbooks placed end-to-end. Current pumps use a piston drive to push out
the insulin, but the new Animas pump uses a mechanical action--it works just
like an old-fashioned water pump, the kind where you have to push the handle up
and down. The pump's micro-mechanical technology comes from a Swiss company
purchased by Animas about a year ago. There is no reservoir/cartridge, but the
300 units of insulin are held in a formed hard plastic piece that makes up about
one-half of the entire pump. The insulin part and the tubing come in one piece,
which is disposable. Buttons on the pump allow you to deliver a normal bolus,
but for more sophisticated options and programming, you'll have to use the
remote. Also of note: Johnson & Johns!
on
completed the acquisition of Animas about two weeks ago.
It's very exciting to see the incredible progress that these companies are
making!
-Christy
new Animas IR1250, as of 2/28/06
I think the 522/722 is actually available in Canada now according to
mimimed's canadian website. Check it out (link below). So it's
really down to the FDA approval in the US, and they had better get a
move on with it.
http://www.minimed.ca/
Sarah, dx'92, pumping'00
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