Abbott (NYSE:ABT) announced that it entered into a strategic partnership with WeightWatchers to help people living with diabetes.
The companies will work together to integrate WeightWatchers’ diabetes-tailored weight management program with Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) products to help them better understand and manage their diabetes and weight.
According to a news release, the integrated offering will provide a mobile experience with information and insights needed for those with diabetes to make healthy adjustments to their diet, improve their glucose levels and gain more control of their health.
“We strive to put our customers at the heart of everything we do, and that includes forming strategic partnerships with key industry leaders, like WeightWatchers, to provide new services and offerings that can greatly improve the quality of life for people living with diabetes,” Jared Watkin, SVP of Abbott’s diabetes care business, said in the release. “By combining our world-leading FreeStyle Libre glucose monitoring technology with WeightWatchers’ number one doctor-recommended weight loss program, people with diabetes, in particular, those with type 2 diabetes and less intensively managed by doctors, can have the insights they need to take control of their health.
Through the partnership, participants can receive glucose insights from the Abbott FreeStyle Libre sensor-based technology that show the impact of food choices along with WeightWatchers’ diabetes-tailored nutritional guidance, helping to achieve healthier living goals.
Abbott and WeightWatchers intend to work together to allow the FreeStyle Libre CGM systems and the WeightWatchers mobile app to share information so that glucose data can be seen alongside the health program.
The companies said the partnership will initially focus on developing solutions for people with diabetes in the U.S. in 2023.
“It’s proven that lifestyle changes, including shifts in patterns of eating and activity routines, are a crucial component of diabetes management and can help improve glycemic control,” said Sima Sistani, CEO of WeightWatchers. “We’ve partnered with Abbott, a leader in diabetes care, to make it possible for people with diabetes to reach their weight and healthy living goals while enjoying the foods they love and better managing their glucose levels.”
