ARTICLE SUMMARY:
With the recent success of Insulet’s new Omnipod 5 automated insulin delivery patch pump, there is renewed focus on the patch-pump opportunity, and competitors, including Tandem Diabetes Care, are leading the charge.
One of the most significant diabetes device stories of 2022 was the US launch of Insulet’s much-anticipated Omnipod 5, the first insulin patch-pump system with hybrid closed-loop automated insulin delivery (AID) capabilities. Since the launch there has been strong demand for Omnipod 5 among both existing and new pump users, impacting the competitive landscape and focusing renewed attention on the patch-pump opportunity.
Worn on the body for a period of days, tubeless patch pumps such as Omnipod are simpler to operate and have lower up-front costs than traditional tubed insulin pumps. The Omnipod 5, which further simplifies glucose management by adding an AID algorithm, appears to have struck a chord with both patients and physicians, and Insulet’s competitors are taking note. One major player in the pump field—Tandem Diabetes Care—is already shoring up its patch-pump pipeline with a deal to acquire a private Swiss company developing a novel patch pump, and there could be similar announcements in the future as competition in this space heats up.
