Apple’s Glucose Monitoring Project will Revolutionize Diabetes Technology

This is a brief preview of the full post which is available on Patreon.com/T1dlife with a low-cost monthly subscription. All my diabetes tech reviews are brought to you with the help and expertise of my husband who previously contributed to his former employer, Samsung’s non-invasive glucose monitoring project. The age of new diabetes technology is here! Apple has also been secretly working on a similar project recently dubbed “E5.” Samsung’s prototype was about the size of a small microwave. Apple has reduced that to the size of a wearable iPhone and working to improve that technology to monitor glucose levels from an Apple Watch. Their software will also be able to help prevent or manage prediabetes.

Expert Opinion

When Apple can truly make a safe and reliable non-invasive CGM with their Watch, they may likely put Dexcom out of business soon after it’s launch. Much like how it did with mobile phone makers, Nokia and Motorola after its first iPhone release in 2007. After this highly secretive project recently leaked to the public, Dexcom and Abbott’s stocks dropped by 3 percent before recovering. Unlike Dexcom, Apple has much deeper pockets to afford some of the best software engineers, technology product developers, researchers, infrastructure, and more. Apples already spent hundreds of millions on E5 as of this writing.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the many benefits we know of so far:

• The [safe micro-laser] sensor will be in the watch itself! No need for painful or inconvenient, uncomfortable sensor insertions or transmitter changes like traditional CGMs. 
• Better reliability in safer more accurate glucose readings and trends with smoothing and prediction algorithms due to the best engineers working tirelessly over the years to continue developing this incredible product for us.
• The Watch will warn wearers who don’t know they’re diabetic yet of prediabetes, low and elevated glucose levels to name a few.
• More durability and affordable than Dexcom G7s CGM starter kit and 90-day supply of sensors (built-in transmitter) at $89/month at your local pharmacy vs. the most luxurious Apple Watch Ultra at $33.29/mo for 24 months. My 3rd Gen Apple Watch still works from 2017! Apple’s also working on longer battery life for all their devices. Please note: I wasn’t able to find the exact price for G7 because Dexcom has not made that publicly available without having to contact a pharmacy. Not worth my time. If you have that pricing info, please mention it in the comments for the diabetes community.
• No need to worry about Apple getting bought out by Big Pharma or other competitors – they have the capital to do this. They actually bought out a small non-invasive GM startup known as RareLight in 2010.
• More accessible in the sense of store locations and internet connection for online shopping at Apple.com.
• Not likely going to have to worry about getting a prescription for the Apple “GlucoWatch” whether you have insurance or not. Major game changer! We want to cut out PBMs and insurance battles with those irritable annual Prior Authorizations for traditional CGMs when it comes to managing our child’s or your disease! This will be so fantastic for our mental health too!

There’s still no telling whether Apple will partner with Eli Lilly or NovoNordisk for their smart insulin pens like Dexcom did earlier in December 2019 or insulin pump manufacturers, Insulet Corp and Tandem Diabetes. Apple has never wanted to meddle with pharmaceuticals or any third-party corporation in general. Therefore, Dexcom and Abbott will still dominate the closed-loop (CLS) pump market.

Please learn more about why we refuse to ever switch back to Dexcom after using the Libre2 for Coral in our review. All of my reviews are honest and never sponsored, nor intended. As with anything I write or say, take what applies to you and leave the rest. Always keep comments respectful on any of my social platforms and try to further educate yourselves with all the resources I’ve provided before jumping to conclusions. If you’ve found this or any other article helpful, please kindly share it with your friends and family. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Twitter or subscribe to this Blog and/or support our advocacy efforts on Patreon.com/T1dLife for more educational content. Feel free to shop my original designs at Zazzle.com/T1dLife too and tag @type1diabetic_life on IG with #shopt1dlife for a featured post!

Much mahalo and stay well,

Shelsea

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Sources

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German, Mark. “Apple Makes Major Progress on No-Prick Blood Glucose Tracking for Its Watch” <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-22/apple-watch-blood-glucose-monitor-could-revolutionize-diabetes-care-aapl>. Published February 22, 2023. Accessed online 22, Feb 2023.

Pratt, Mary K. “Definition: Proof of Concept (POC)” <https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/definition/proof-of-concept-POC>. Published December 2022. Accessed online 23 Feb 2023.

Reynolds, Kristin. “Today Marks 10 Years Since Steve Jobs Death” <https://pancan.org/news/today-marks-10-years-since-steve-jobs-death/>. Published October 5, 2021. Accessed online 23, February 2023.