Abbott Laboratories reported fourth quarter sales below expectations before the market opened on Jan. 22, sending the stock down nearly 12% from the prior day's closing. The biggest hits came from contraction in the nutrition group along with continued disruption in the diagnostics unit from volume-based procurement in China. Medical devices suffered from market share loss in electrophysiology and slower than expected uptake of continuous glucose monitors. The pharma group performed as anticipated, posting 7% growth.
Over the last year, diabetes technology saw significant changes, including the acceleration of patch pumps, ever-smaller continuous glucose monitors (CGM), implanted CGMs and increased interest in devices that measure additional chemicals in blood without needles.
The Office of Inspector General issued a report stating that the Medicare program could save “tens of millions of dollars” in a single year on continuous glucose monitors and associated supplies if the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services acted to apply price pressure on suppliers.
Dexcom Inc. received U.S. FDA clearance for its Smart Basal CGM-integrated basal insulin dosing optimizer. Designed for adults with type 2 diabetes using glargine U-100 long-acting insulin therapy, Smart Basal uses data from Dexcom’s G7 15 Day sensor with doses logged by the user to personalize recommendations and adjust long-acting insulin doses, with direction from the patient’s health care provider.
Dexcom Inc. executives may have thought a $30 million beat of the consensus estimates for third quarter revenue and 20% year-over-year organic growth provided a treat to shareholders, but investors seemed to feel tricked instead. The continuous glucose monitoring powerhouse saw its share price drop a frightening 17% in the first two hours of trading on Oct. 31, pushing it down by one-third from its peak of $89.53 in late July. Investors appear to have been spooked by the company’s conservative projections for 2026, following issues with its G7 sensor, which management said have been largely resolved.
Signos Inc. landed U.S. FDA clearance for its over-the-counter glucose monitoring system, which combines Dexcom Inc.'s non-prescription Stelo continuous glucose monitor with an AI-powered platform focused on weight management and metabolism. The sensor transmits glucose readings to a smartphone app that interprets the data, provides guidance for healthy habits and educates the user.
Sava Technologies Ltd. raised $19 million in a series A funding round for its multi-molecule biosensor platform that can detect biomarkers just beneath the skin, in real-time. The funds will go towards its first product, a continuous glucose monitor, which early clinical data showed can generate accurate glucose readings for up to 10 days of continuous wear.
Glucomodicum Oy reported positive results from a clinical study in which its needle-free continuous glucose monitor, Talisman, was tested in participants across both standard multi-hour glucose tolerance and ambulatory conditions involving exercise and meals.
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services posted the draft home health rule for calendar year 2026, which includes a proposal to subject continuous glucose monitors and insulin pumps to competitive bidding, but the agency is also considering a more rapid pace of replacement of these technologies.
Abbott Laboratories grabbed attention in early June with its announcement of a partnership with Tandem Diabetes Care Inc. to develop a multianalyte sensor for people with diabetes that would measure ketones as well as glucose.
