Diabetes is becoming one of the biggest chronic health problems worldwide. In 2016, the global diabetic population has crossed half a billion, and it continues to grow. Healthcare costs grow correspondingly. In response to the diabetes pandemic, device manufacturers, healthcare providers, and patients are looking for ways to manage this long-term chronic disease in an efficient and unobtrusive way.
In its examination of both current and in-development technologies geared toward extending effective diabetes care, ABI Research finds wearable continuous glucose monitoring devices are paramount. Between now and 2021, more than nine million wearable CGM devices will ship, as they increasingly gain support and challenge finger prick glucose meters.
A big USP of these connected wearables is that they are not stand alone devices. (m)Health wearable device manufacturers are integrating the new, non-invasive CGMs and insulin pumps with cloud services, analytics tools, and predictive software to provide new types of pattern analysis in near real time, says Ryan Harbison, Research Analyst at ABI Research.
17 billion dollar market
The overall diabetic testing market, which includes glucose meters and test strips, will exceed 17 billion dollar in 2021, up from 12 billion dollar in 2016. CGM revenues will grow at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 41 percent over the same period. Existing glucose meter device vendors, such as Bayer and Johnson & Johnson, will have to compete increasingly against CGM specialists such as Abbott, Dexcom, and Medtronic.
“Medtronic has a substantial advantage with its MiniMed CGM system, Abbott focuses on the European market, and Dexcom innovates on existing CGM devices to create all-in-one experiences through mobile integrations,” concludes Harbison. “Glucose meter manufacturers, such as Johnson & Johnson and Roche Diagnostics, can further disrupt this market by developing new form factors, such as contact lenses and skin patches, to create less invasive and more accurate monitoring devices.”
Continous monitoring decreases hypo risk
Recently, Dutch research concluded that continous monitoring of glucose levels drastically decrease the risk of a severe hypo for diabetes 1 patients. Compared to the traditional method of blood testing, continous monitoring decreases the risk of a severe hypo by as much as 50 percent, said Dr. Erik H. Serné of the VUmc University Hospital.
