Omnipod 5, Insulet’s latest-generation automated insulin delivery (AID) system, is a small, discreet, tubeless, wearable patch pump. It features SmartAdjust technology that uses CGM readings to predict where glucose will be 60 minutes into the future. Omnipod 5 then increases, decreases, or pauses insulin delivery based on the user’s desired and customized glucose target.
The real-world study aimed to evaluate Omnipod 5’s effectiveness in HbA1c, time-in-range (TIR), hypoglycemia frequency and sensor glucose variability. It lasted over three and six months in children and young people with type 1 diabetes at two NHS-funded pediatric diabetes centers in North West England. Findings were published last month in Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics.
Children under 18 years old started on Omnipod 5 therapy (using the Dexcom G6 CGM) between August 2023 and January 2024 in the study. Investigators collected sensor glucose metrics and HbA1c within three months before pump initiation. They then compared the data at three and six months post-initiation.
The study included a total of 144 children, with 46% males and a mean age of 7.1 years. It had a predominantly White cohort (80%) with diabetes duration averaging 4.4 years. Before Omnipod 5, 54% used multiple daily injections, 41% a nonintegrated pump and 5% another AID system.
At three and six months, subjects saw significant improvements in HbA1c (7.7% to 7.1% at three months and 7.2% at six months). TIR improved from 53.3% at baseline to 67.4% at three months and 68.8% at six months.
Investigators concluded:
“These findings highlight the Omnipod 5 system’s safety and effectiveness in improving glycemic control for children and young people (CYP) with type 1 diabetes in a real-world NHS setting. Further research is needed to explore the long-term benefits and cost-effectiveness of this tubeless HCL system in routine clinical care.”
