Diabetes

Astellas will be paying Welldoc $15 million up front for certain rights to the diabetes digital therapeutic, and will also be on the hook for milestones and royalty payments.

The technology proved its merit in a pilot that reported high detection rates and adherence, and is already in use at 15 VA medical centers.

A study being presented this weekend in Philadelphia is the latest data on Livongo's programs, which combine connected monitoring devices and digital coaching.

The deal also comes with a strategic investment for the disease management startup.

Patients with Type 2 diabetes enrolled in a joint pilot run by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Virta dropped on average 5% of their body weight. 

Glen Tullman, founder and chairman of Livongo, says his company aggregates and analyzes information to generate insights that could make it easier for individuals to stay healthy.

All of the life insurer’s members with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes will have access to the service, which offers savings on premiums. 

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that patients had an average of 2.6 more hours a day in their target glucose range compared to their peers using a sensor-augmented pump. 

Erin Trimble of 23andMe touches on the value of polygenic risk scores, how to use genetic information to improve health and the importance of equipping primary care providers to talk with their patients about genetics.

Omada's Dr. Cynthia Castro Sweet describes the advantages of digital platforms for chronic care, as well as the increasing demand for evidence of their value.