Cellnovo joins European diabetes self-management project

Cellnovo has been selected to join the European Commission's Horizon-funded diabetes self-management project PEPPER.

The company headquartered in Paris has developed technology which it says is the world’s first mobile diabetes management system.

The Patient Empowerment through Predictive Personalised decision support (PEPPER) project intends to investigate the latest technologies in type 1 diabetes management by bringing together top European universities and companies including Imperial College London, University de Girona, Girona Biomedical Research Institute and Cellnovo itself.

Cellnovo's diabetes management system will play a central role in the €4 million financed project, allowing personalised decision making based on real-time data from the user.

Commenting on the news, Sophie Baratte, Cellnovo CEO, said: "We are delighted to be participating in PEPPER, which we believe is a strong endorsement of our proprietary technology. The Cellnovo diabetes management system is an ideal platform for a personalised decision support system because of its real-time connected data, as well as its wearability and discreetness. The funding by the European Commission's Horizon 2020 programme further demonstrates its key role in this pioneering area of diabetes research."

The device itself takes the form of an insulin pump patch and accompanying controller with a blood glucose meter, allowing users to monitor their blood sugar levels. The PEPPER project aims to develop an artificial intelligence platform to integrate with this technology in order to produce bespoke information for the user, such as blood glucose level predictions, dose advice and alarms in the case of possible hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia.

"We believe that better use of data and technology has the power to improve health, transforming the quality and reducing the cost of health and care services," said Clare Martin of Oxford Brookes University, conductors of the PEPPER project, "Cellnovo's innovative technology, empowering diabetes patients to accurately self-manage their condition, fits perfectly with the overall aim of the PEPPER project. We are delighted to be working with them."

Diabetes and chronic illness management has gradually emerged as a serious moneymaker for pharma companies. Following the widespread adoption of its diabetes management system by healthcare providers and self-insured employers alike, Livongo have recently announced a series C financing round of $44.5 million which it now hopes to invest in developing its already successful technology.