Livongo Health has struck a deal to offer Voluntis’ insulin dose recommendation medical device as part of its diabetes management service. The partners hope to improve treatment adherence and dose optimization by delivering automated recommendations to Livongo members’ smartphones.
Voluntis is contributing its FDA-cleared app, Insulia, to the alliance. The service enables clinicians to set up personalized treatment plans for their patients. Clinicians base the plan on their patient’s profile, insulin prescription and blood glucose targets. Based on this information and blood sugar readings, Insulia provides insulin dose recommendations and coaching messages to users, either via an iOS or Android app or a web portal.
Livongo sees the recommendations complementing its Livongo for Diabetes program, which pairs a connected blood glucose meter to data analytics and coaching. Information collected by Insulia will flow into platforms used by Livongo coaches, potentially enabling them to provide patients with more effective advice and support.
“We know that the three pillars of diabetes management are nutrition, exercise, and medication. But having the right information on how to manage is also critical. By integrating with Insulia, we can give members with Type 2 diabetes additional insight and tips for medication optimization, making managing diabetes easier,” Livongo CMO Jennifer Schneider said in a statement.
The partnership provides an early boost for the prospects of Insulia, which received FDA 510(k) clearance and a CE mark late last year. When Voluntis introduces the medical device in the U.S. later this year, it will have the chance to put its product in front of the “tens of thousands” of people who get the Livongo for Diabetes program through their health plan or other system.
Voluntis is building a business upon the reimbursement of such validated, prescription software. Rather than selling apps direct to consumers, the French company seeks to create software that is prescribed by doctors. This approach has led to the creation of companion software aimed at diabetics and partnerships with AstraZeneca and Roche in cancer and coagulation.