Chronic disease management company Livongo is collaborating with Voluntis, the Paris, France-based company that develops companion apps for medical devices, to offer an integrated program, insulin delivery system and app for people with type 2 diabetes.
Members will have access to the Livongo for Diabetes Program with Voluntis’ Insulia, the diabetes management app that received both FDA approval and a CE Mark late last year. The app is designed for people treated with basal insulin and is classified as a prescription-only medical device.
The Livongo for Diabetes program consists of a cellular-enabled smart blood glucose meter, access to a certified diabetes educator and unlimited blood glucose strips. The cloud-based meter with connection to a virtual care team offers 24/7 coaching based on the user’s real-time blood sugar and data, and the device recently upgraded to include over-the-air update capabilities, just like a smartphone.
With the added connectivity to the Voluntis Insulia app, users will also receive automated basal insulin dose recommendations and educational messages from their coaches, who are also benefitting from a bump in patient data from the additional information collected by Insulia.
“We know that the three pillars of diabetes management are nutrition, exercise and medication,” Livongo Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jennifer Schneider said in a statement. “But having the right information on how to manage is also critical. By integrating with Insulia, we can give members with type 2 diabetes additional insight and tips for medication optimization – making managing diabetes easier.”
While there are many connected blood glucose meters and diabetes management apps, those developed as prescription-only medication management aids are less common. Similar offerings in the space include the FDA-cleared wireless integration of Johnson and Johnson subsidiary LifeScan’s blood glucose monitoring system and BlueStar, WellDoc’s mobile diabetes management platform, and the all-inclusive, FDA and CE Mark-approved OneDrop monitoring system.
The Livongo for Diabetes program is available through many self-ensured employers, health plans and health systems throughout the United States, and Voluntis will launch Insulia throughout the country over the year. The French company is also working on a digital diabetes app called Diabeo, which is not yet cleared for use in the United States, and they have also developed companion apps for cancer treatments by Roche and AstraZeneca.
“We are pleased to bring Insulia to Livongo members,” Romain Marmot, Voluntis’s chief operating officer, said in a statement. “Livongo’s mission to empower patients through technology is in perfect accord with our own. We hope that by combining Insulia companion software with Livongo’s diabetes program we can further empower people living with type 2 diabetes.”