Following the news that The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended that artificial pancreas systems be available to patients in England and Wales through the National Healthcare Service;

Shane Dibblee, Medical Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view:

“An artificial pancreas, also called a ‘closed hybrid loop system’, consists of a continuous glucose monitor and a programmable insulin pump. The monitor is able to communicate real-time blood glucose levels to the pump, which then modifies supply accordingly. These systems are hugely popular with patients, helping them to feel in control of their condition. Making artificial pancreas systems available on the NHS would be a huge step for improving comfort among diabetes patients.

“The UK is estimated to have 413,042 individuals with type 1 diabetes according to the International Diabetes Federation’s 2022 Atlas. This number includes 42,048 under the age of 20. The management of diabetes can be particularly challenging for this age group and an artificial pancreas can help ease the burden on children, parents, and caretakers.

“The continuous glucose monitors and insulin pumps that make up an artificial pancreas system require communication, and wireless is strongly preferred by the market. This allows manufactures like Dexcom, Abbott Laboratories, and Roche to easily include smartphone integration. Patients have an easier time accessing and viewing the data on their personal devices, while some apps allow healthcare providers or parents able to remotely monitor the system.

“An artificial pancreas system combines relatively new devices with very specific technical, durability, and safety requirements. This means the costs of these systems can be prohibitive with an average purchase price of £3,520 and ongoing costs of £2240 per year according to GlobalData’s latest modelling in the UK. The nature of these devices as wearables that interact with the bloodstream necessitates that they need to be comfortable and rugged enough to handle daily wear while still providing accurate readings and resisting infection.”