Medtronic’s MiniMed 780G Receives FDA Approval
On April 21, 2023, the FDA approved Medtronic’s MiniMed™ 780G—an advanced hybrid closed-loop system that builds off the MiniMed 770G. Medtronic’s 780G insulin pump system is the fifth in the series, entering Medtronic’s existing portfolio of insulin pumps with Bluetooth capabilities.
The system includes the MiniMed Mobile App, which connects through your smartphone or Apple smart watch, the insulin pump and the Guardian™ 4 continuous glucose monitor (CGM). Medtronic’s 780G system claims to be the only FDA-approved insulin pump system with meal-detection technology, automatically adjusting basal and bolus insulin needs every five minutes based on glucose readings sent through the Guardian 4 sensor.
The system provides auto-correction boluses every five minutes to help offset occasional user errors, like forgetting to bolus or underestimating the number of carbohydrates in a snack or meal. The system leverages the company’s existing SmartGuard™ algorithm and has improved from 87.5 to 95 percent of the average time spent in SmartGuard technology with the upgrade from 770G to 780G.
“Mealtimes prove to be one of the biggest challenges for people living with type 1 diabetes,” said Que Dallara, EVP and president of Medtronic Diabetes. “Now, for the first time, the MiniMed 780G system addresses this unmet need with automatic, real-time insulin corrections.”
Thanks to Bluetooth connectivity, the 780G system lets users see blood glucose levels and basal insulin rates in real-time.
“A lot can happen to blood sugars in the span of an hour or even just a few minutes, so we’ve designed our system for real life—the algorithm adapts to the user and helps compensate for everyday challenges that are quite common around mealtimes,” Dallara said.
The 780G comes with a blood glucose target of 100 mg/dL—the lowest on the market. This setting better mimics someone’s blood sugar levels if they don’t have diabetes, helping to meet the years-long concerns of many automated insulin delivery (AID) users who have expressed the need to limit higher target thresholds.
Results from the U.S. pivotal trial of the system, which included people ages 14 to 75, showed:
- No severe hypoglycemia or diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)
- Average A1C of seven percent
- Overall time in range (TIR) of 75 percent with an overall time below the range of 1.8 percent
- Overnight TIR of 82 percent with an overnight time below the range of 1.5 percent
- Participants in the closed-loop system 95 percent of the time
- Mean sensor glucose of 148 mg/dL
- The auto-correction system contributed 22 percent of all bolus insulin
This is Medtronic’s most flexible system to date in terms of glucose targeting, auto-bolusing and longevity. These changes will all make a massive difference in daily diabetes management.
“We build in features informed by extensive customer feedback, and we’re excited to deliver a system with ease of use at the forefront,” Dallara said.
The Medtronic 780G is currently approved for users seven years old and above with type 1 diabetes. Medtronic will begin taking pre-orders for the 780G on May 15, 2023, shipping nationwide later this summer.
Customers currently using Medtronic’s 770G system will be eligible to upgrade their device to the MiniMed 780G through a no-cost, remote software upgrade. To be notified about when the MiniMed 780G is available, sign up for Medtronic’s upgrade notification newsletter.
