Abbott Diabetes head talks Medtronic partnership, exciting times ahead

For many, a partnership between Abbott (NYSE:ABT) and Medtronic (NYSE:MDT), two medtech giants and frequent competitors, would have seemed unlikely.

The two companies battle for market share in a variety of spaces, including cardiac implants, vascular access, neuromodulation and more. They’ll continue to duke it out in those areas, but in diabetes, they’ve become collaborators.

Last summer, the companies announced a global partnership pairing Abbott CGMs with Medtronic insulin delivery systems. The partnership aims to collaborate on a system based on Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre CGMs with Medtronic’s automated insulin delivery technology (the latest generation being the MiniMed 780G) and smart insulin pen systems, such as the InPen system.

Medtronic’s systems previously used its own CGMs, such as the Guardian 4 and the Simplera platform, and the company intends to continue using those systems as part of a comprehensive CGM portfolio. Under the companies’ agreement, the systems would be sold exclusively by Medtronic — including the Abbott CGM.

The companies brought the partnership a step further in April when Medtronic announced the submission of an interoperable pump with the Abbott sensor technology to the FDA. They plan to share more details following the expected FDA clearance.

Speaking to Drug Delivery Business News ahead of the American Diabetes Association’s 85th Scientific Sessions in Chicago, Abbott EVP, Diabetes Care, Chris Scoggins said the partnership may have caught many off-guard, but will nevertheless provide new benefits to the diabetes community.

“Your reaction is similar to many customers out there — a little bit of surprise, but then immediately excitement,” Scoggins said. “They see the power of the partnership.”

(Read also: Scoggins talks Abbott’s dual glucose-ketone sensor.)

The Abbott view on the partnership with Medtronic

When the companies agreed to the partnership, Jared Watkin, then EVP of Abbott Diabetes Care, said it “pairs two global leaders in glucose sensing technology and insulin delivery. He said Libre technology “set the standard” for CGM and connecting it with Medtronic technologies can make it easier for people to spend less time thinking about their diabetes.

Scoggins, who has since succeeded Watkin in that role, reiterated that notion while saying Abbott’s mission remains the same: continue to expand and be the most connected CGM maker out there.

“We will be the only continuous glucose monitor that is connected across all of the pump players,” said Scoggins. “That’s really kind of a testament to the market acceptance of our product.”

Scoggins said Abbott continues to support Medtronic as the two companies remain aligned to launch their partnership. He said the company believes in Medtronic’s mission in terms of automated insulin delivery expansion and hopes to bring what Abbott believes is “the best sensor available” to that offering.

The partnership also reflects the collaborative nature of the diabetes industry, with pump makers and CGM makers often pairing technologies.

Scoggins pointed to the patient-centric diabetes community as an example of that collaborative spirit.

“[We have a] shared vision of what we’re trying to do,” Scoggins said. “While we do compete, we also collaborate as a community. And I think that partnership with Medtronic is evidence of the patient-first mindset.”

Other advances to note at Abbott

With the April launch of a universal FreeStyle Libre app in the U.S., Abbott further advanced its CGM platform’s usability.

The new app enables CGM users to track glucose readings and insights. It offers several new features, including a platform for multiple generations of sensors, no need for scanning, updated alerts and alarms and more.

“We want to make sure engagement with our app is similar to other apps that they compare against,” Scoggins explained. “You’ll find in our new app that it’s something that is very much in line with the Libre promise of being intuitive, easy to use and very friendly.”

Abbott also noted at ADA that it integrated the Libre systems into the Apple Watch, meaning users can get their glucose readings directly from the wrist-worn technology.

Additionally, Abbott recently struck a partnership to integrate data from Libre systems directly into Epic EHR in the U.S. Through this collaboration, the companies aim to improve workflow efficiency for providers through Epic’s Aura software. Aura brings health systems together with diagnostic labs and medical device manufacturers.

With the integration, data from a user’s LibreView account can automatically link to Epic. It enables clinicians to effortlessly view their patients’ glucose data within Epic before, during and after meeting with patients. This ensures healthcare providers can access key glucose data directly within their preferred workflows to enable more informed care.

“Connecting broadly into that primary care network of doctors that we’re reaching with our broader salesforce coverage these days, we’re pushing deeper into that type 2 audience,” Scoggins said. “It’s a tool for everybody. It’s got that kind of care continuum across the different stakeholders. We’re making sure that that digital ecosystem is tailored to the needs of each of them.

“We always have to raise the bar on ourselves against competitors, because they’re always changing, evolving and getting better,” Scoggins said. “But, we’re doing our best to shape expectations within the continuous glucose monitoring space.