Diabetes Administration Tech for Sort II sufferers: Interview with Jeffrey Brewer, CEO of Bigfoot Biomedical

Bigfoot Biomedical, a medtech firm primarily based in California, has developed the Bigfoot Unity System, a diabetes administration know-how for sufferers on a number of every day injection remedy. The system makes use of steady glucose monitoring knowledge and physician suggestions to supply insulin dose suggestions, serving to sufferers to keep away from uncertainty.

The corporate argues that sort 2 diabetes sufferers have been traditionally underserved by the medtech business, partly as a result of such sufferers sometimes are usually older at prognosis, and maybe much less inclined to undertake new applied sciences. This contrasts with sort 1 “energy customers” who’re extra conscious of the nuances of their illness at an early age and are higher disposed to undertake new applied sciences to assist handle it.

Bigfoot goals to supply technological options to assist such sufferers to handle their illness extra successfully.

Medgadget final spoke with Bigfoot Biomedical CMO Crimson Maxwell in March 2020. Now, we speak with Jeffrey Brewer, CEO and co-founder at Bigfoot Biomedical, to atone for how the know-how and discipline has progressed.

Conn Hastings, Medgadget: Please give us an outline of the challenges these with sort 2 diabetes face in managing their blood glucose ranges everyday.

Jeffrey Brewer, Bigfoot Biomedical: Successfully managing glucose ranges is commonly very difficult for individuals with insulin-requiring diabetes, particularly these with sort 2 given they’ve fewer instruments designed for them in comparison with these with sort 1.  Checking blood glucose ranges, counting carbohydrates, calculating basal (long-acting) and bolus (rapid-acting) insulin injections, doing calculations at each meal – it could actually all be very advanced and overwhelming. Challenges and actions akin to these are tough and time-consuming for individuals with each sort 1 and sort 2 diabetes. Traditionally, individuals on a number of every day injections have had few options out there to alleviate the burden of those challenges.

One other problem confronted is suboptimal insulin use both by means of missed or mistimed insulin dosing. We additionally see limitations in glucose administration as a result of suppliers are reluctant to instruct correction dosing resulting from fears of affected person miscalculations and insulin stacking.

Over time, excessive glucose ranges can result in extreme problems akin to kidney failure, heart problems, nerve harm and blindness. Individuals with sort 2 have been going through these challenges with too few instruments and assets, and have been underserved for a lot too lengthy. It’s one thing that Bigfoot Biomedical is set to deal with.

Medgadget: How are such sufferers underserved in contrast with these with sort 1 diabetes? If that’s the case, why does this disparity exist?

Jeffrey Brewer: Individuals with sort 2 diabetes signify 90-95{75d954d2146f985c5b66d5016801df5bb38447ce203fe2fdd7ac37d1ca31f8c2} of the entire diabetes inhabitants, and subsequently drive extra healthcare prices than the sort 1 inhabitants.  But we nonetheless see an immense hole within the technological advances for individuals with sort 2. They’ve been woefully underserved by the health-tech business which has targeted its innovation on “energy customers” with sort 1.

The explanation this disparity exists largely stems from the truth that individuals with sort 1 are recognized as kids and should totally perceive the seriousness of diabetes at a younger age. They’ve a strong understanding of highs and lows, time in vary, and what actions to take to maintain ranges the place they must be. The perceived severity of sort 1 additionally encourages individuals to undertake know-how that helps their insulin administration. Insulin pumps for instance, are virtually completely utilized by individuals with sort 1.  If you have a look at the sort 2 inhabitants, the affected person journey is vastly totally different. They’re virtually at all times recognized later in life and usually haven’t been raised with an understanding of the seriousness of diabetes, or the talents to handle it. It’s an advanced situation that could be very obscure and handle in a brief time frame. It may be exhausting for individuals with sort 2 to get into the swing of issues, particularly when the training curve is paired with the unfamiliarity of difficult know-how.

Individuals with sort 2 are often 45+ years previous. They’re much less prone to undertake know-how of any sort in comparison with youthful individuals with sort 1, particularly know-how for a illness they aren’t immensely accustomed to. Due to this, many medical system corporations have prioritized innovation for the sort 1 inhabitants, regardless of the upper prevalence of sort 2. Disruption in diabetes tech for individuals with sort 2 is lengthy overdue. 75{75d954d2146f985c5b66d5016801df5bb38447ce203fe2fdd7ac37d1ca31f8c2} of individuals with diabetes are usually not reaching their diabetes care targets – that’s an issue. Individuals on a number of every day injection remedy want higher entry to instruments that would assist them higher handle their diabetes.

Medgadget: How is Bigfoot Biomedical working to assist appropriate this disparity?

Jeffrey Brewer: We’re taking an unconventional strategy to delivering easy, related, and complete options for many who have been ignored by diabetes innovation, and we’re doing it with our Bigfoot Unity System.

Bigfoot Unity allows, for the primary time, individuals on a number of every day injection (MDI) remedy to get an insulin dose advice, on-demand, primarily based on steady glucose monitoring (CGM) knowledge and their physician’s directions – serving to to take the anxious guesswork out of every day insulin dose administration.

We all know that episodic, quarterly physician visits and A1C checks could make it tough for individuals with diabetes to really feel “all in” and totally supported on their diabetes administration journey.  With Bigfoot Unity, individuals have an easy-to-use resolution that helps them carry on monitor of dose occasions and dose suggestions, every day. Similar to with any big-picture plan, that’s the way you obtain outcomes – by persistently taking the small steps to get there. We’re in it with them for the lengthy haul, as a result of at Bigfoot, individuals with sort 2 aren’t misunderstood and beneath supported.

Medgadget: Please give us an outline of the Bigfoot diabetes administration system and its parts.

Jeffrey Brewer: The Bigfoot Unity System, which is the centerpiece of our bigger Bigfoot Unity Program, is the primary and solely FDA-cleared resolution for individuals with Sort 1 or Sort 2 diabetes on MDI remedy that instantly integrates CGM knowledge to supply an insulin dose advice. The dose, which is predicated upon directions from the particular person’s well being care supplier, is displayed instantly on proprietary, related good caps of the particular person’s disposable insulin pens.

 The system options good pen caps suitable with a complete checklist of commercially out there disposable insulin pens for each long-acting and rapid-acting insulin. The pen caps combine seamlessly with the Freestyle Libre 2 CGM sensor to supply present glucose info and insulin dose suggestions.

The CGM and dosing knowledge is uploaded mechanically to the Bigfoot Clinic Hub, a safe, cloud-based hub that permits healthcare professionals to evaluation well being knowledge and supply proactive, personalised care to their sufferers.

If you mix these parts, you get a complete resolution that’s simple for individuals with diabetes to know and comply with.

Medgadget: How does the system assist Sort II sufferers to handle their situation?  How does it enhance on ‘conventional’ approaches?

Jeffrey Brewer: Bigfoot Unity supplies real-time insulin dose suggestions primarily based on present CGM readings and doctor directions. It takes the anxious guesswork out of every day insulin administration. It additionally supplies reminders for doubtlessly missed long-acting insulin doses, designed to extend the chance that customers by no means miss a dose, and supplies notifications for when an individual’s glucose stage is just too low.

This differs from the normal strategy of manually figuring out insulin doses and attempting to recollect whenever you took your final dose. With Bigfoot Unity, there isn’t a guide knowledge entry. The good caps seamlessly combine the Freestyle Libre 2 CGM sensor, permitting individuals with diabetes to simply decide their healthcare skilled’s advice primarily based on their present glucose readings from their CGM or Blood Glucose Meter. Simplicity is vital to adherence, and Bigfoot Unity was designed to provide clear steering on how a lot to take and when, so individuals with diabetes can get again to utilizing their time and power doing the issues that matter most to them.  

Medgadget: The place is the system out there at current?

Jeffrey Brewer: Bigfoot Unity is cleared by the FDA and out there throughout the U.S. We’re actively working to develop entry so extra individuals with insulin-requiring diabetes can take management of their diabetes with a complete, easy, and holistic resolution.  

Medgadget: The place do you see diabetes administration going sooner or later? How will Bigfoot Biomedical contribute to this?

Jeffrey Brewer: I feel it’s crucial that innovators specializing in diabetes administration meet individuals the place they’re at. We have to perceive what their day-to-day appears like, what their challenges are and the way we are able to assist these challenges. For individuals with sort 2, there isn’t sufficient easy know-how to successfully assist them handle their situation in a method that is sensible. I see a future the place extra corporations see this hole, and extra individuals with diabetes are empowered to know and take possession of their illness by means of the assist of know-how that removes the sensation of isolation that so typically stems from diabetes administration. 

Bigfoot Biomedical was constructed to alter the paradigm of look after diabetes. At this time, we’re taking unconventional approaches and making daring strikes to supply holistic, built-in options with the aim to simplify and enhance look after individuals with diabetes. As time goes on, our contributions will proceed to broaden to satisfy our mission. We’ll by no means cease relentlessly striving to free individuals with insulin-requiring diabetes to reside the lives they select.

Hyperlink: Bigfoot Biomedical homepage…

Flashbacks: Bigfoot Biomedical for Extra Correct Insulin Dosing: Interview with CMO Crimson Maxwell; Bigfoot Biomedical’s Diabetes Administration System Happening Trial;