Breakthrough Innovations in Diabetes Care: Medtronic, Dexcom, and Digital Health Leaders Showcase Latest Technologies at ADA 2026

Founded in 1940, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) is a non-profit health organization with nearly 14,000 members. It aims to promote scientific research, education, and advancements in diagnosis and treatment technologies for diabetes by disseminating research progress and information on the disease, thereby achieving the goals of preventing and treating diabetes and improving the quality of life for patients. To date, the ADA has held 77 Scientific Sessions, making it the largest and most prestigious diabetes conference in the world.

The 77th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association concluded on June 13. Attending researchers and healthcare professionals shared significant advances in current diabetes research, treatment, and care, along with more than 3,000 original research reports.

Diabetes management is a key R&D focus for many digital health companies.Major U.S. medical device companies, such as Medtronic and DexCom, have alsoAn increasing number ofResources are being directed toward smartphone applications and consumer-grade connected devices.Thus, at this year’s ADA Scientific Sessions, technology and digital health companies demonstrated potential that cannot be overlooked.

VCBeat (WeChat: vcbeat) has compiled and translated relevant reports from foreign media outlets such as MobileHealthNews, with a particular focus on the latest achievements announced by digital health companies in attendance, offering you a glimpse into the cutting-edge advancements of digital health in the field of diabetes.

DexCom, founded in 1999 and headquartered in San Diego, California, USA, is a medical device company specializing in the design, development, and commercialization of continuous glucose monitoring systems. The company employs 1,212 full-time staff.

Since early June, DexCom has been frequently releasing new updates regarding its leading continuous glucose monitor (CGM). On June 5, at Apple’s WWDC, DexCom announced that it would be among the first companies to enable direct local Bluetooth connectivity with the Apple Watch.

Previously, Dexcom had already provided an Apple Watch app for its CGM users, but individuals still needed to keep their paired iPhone within Bluetooth range, which diminished convenience. Now, the CGM will be able to connect directly to the watch. Furthermore, on June 7, Dexcom announced the launch of the long-awaited Android version of its Dexcom Share app. The application has just received FDA approval and will be released to Android users later this month.

At the ADA conference, DexCom also announced updates to its diabetes management software platform, CLARITY. DexCom is collaborating with the International Diabetes Center (IDC) to integrate the Ambulatory Glucose Profile (AGP) report, developed by IDC, into the platform.

Dr. George Grunberger, President of the Grunberger Diabetes Institute, is highly optimistic about this collaboration. He believes that the Ambulatory Glucose Profile (AGP) report, backed by several years of clinical use, provides the most relevant statistical and graphical information, enabling clinicians to rapidly assess patients’ glycemic control and make meaningful clinical decisions.

If medical device manufacturers’ equipment can integrate such data, its practical utility will be significantly enhanced. Following this trend, AGP is poised to become the “electrocardiogram report” of the diabetes field, achieving universal adoption worldwide.

Jeff Dachis, the founder of One Drop, is a seasoned technology professional with 20 years of experience in the tech industry, having previously founded Razorfish and Dachis Group. Motivated by his own diagnosis with type 1 diabetes, Dachis established One Drop in 2015, primarily offering consumers a blood glucose monitoring kit.

The core component of this kit is an FDA-cleared meter that transmits data via Bluetooth to the One Drop mobile app (available for iPhone and Apple Watch). Additionally, the kit includes a blood sampling device, along with 10 lancets and 100 test strips.

Currently, One Drop has added a powerful new feature for its subscribers: integration of Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant within the app.Users can have Alexa track their blood glucose, food intake, and physical activity in the One Drop app via voice commands, without needing to manually enter any information.

Jeff Dachis stated that accessibility is a core value of One Drop. By introducing new voice and alternative visual interfaces, the team is fulfilling this commitment, enabling individuals with visual impairments, neuropathy or limited dexterity, older adults, caregivers, and those facing challenges with smartphone-based visual or haptic interfaces to seamlessly access diabetes care services.

In addition, One Drop currently offers two new diabetes education and coaching programs: “How to Cope with Chronic Disease Burnout” and “Advanced Carbohydrate Counting.”

Medtronic, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, is a global leader in medical technology with nearly 70 years of history, dedicated to providing more advanced and convenient solutions for patients with chronic diseases. At this year’s ADA Scientific Sessions, Medtronic presented several research findings, covering topics such as the clinical effectiveness of its devices and how machine learning influences personalized diabetes management.

Medtronic highlighted the therapeutic performance of its MiniMed and SmartGuard insulin pump systems, as well as updates to SugarIQ, an application developed in partnership with IBM Watson last year.

SugarIQ Interface Screenshot

The app allows manual creation of food logs and integrates data from MiniMed Connect.When users log information such as the foods they consume, the timing of insulin administration, and blood glucose levels, Watson Machine Learning generates predictive reports based on the input data.Furthermore, Medtronic will conduct in-depth research into notification and engagement strategies, such as the role of email notifications in outpatient and home-based disease management.

Boston-based T1D Exchange is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing innovation and research in type 1 diabetes treatment. Currently, the organization is collaborating with Admetsys, a provider of artificial pancreas technology. Although the specific terms of the partnership have not been disclosed, sources indicate that T1D Exchange will work with Admetsys to develop its Automated Insulin Delivery (AID) system for hospital clinical use.

This technology has been employed in three clinical trials, wherein small blood samples are drawn at intervals of a few minutes via an intravenous (IV) line to measure blood glucose levels, after which the blood is returned to the patient. Based on the measured blood glucose values, Admetsys developed a computational model to guide insulin dosing by the infusion pump.

At the ADA conference, Glooko, a diabetes data management platform, presented detailed findings from two retrospective studies it conducted. The studies demonstrated that Glooko’s mobile application reduced average blood glucose levels, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and the incidence of hyperglycemia in patients with diabetes. Furthermore, the mobile app group performed blood glucose monitoring more frequently than the control group. The average blood glucose level in the mobile app group decreased by 3.54%, and the likelihood of experiencing hyperglycemia was reduced by 4.38%.

Rick Altinger, CEO of Glooko, stated, “We are pleased to see clinical evidence demonstrating that Glooko can have a positive impact on patients with diabetes. Glooko is committed to making diabetes management easier through digital tools, thereby improving clinical outcomes for patients. Our consistently high user satisfaction, combined with this type of clinical evidence, will significantly bolster investor confidence in the ability of digital health companies to improve the lives of those with chronic conditions.”

Ascensia is a business unit established following Panasonic Healthcare Holdings’ acquisition of Bayer’s Diabetes Care division last year, and it is currently collaborating with Voluntis, an application developer based in Paris, France. Ascensia received FDA clearance last year for two connected blood glucose meters, the Contour Next One and the Contour Next Link. Meanwhile, Voluntis is developing an app called Insulia Diabetes Management Companion for patients with type 2 diabetes. Ascensia’s blood glucose meters will connect to Voluntis’s app via Bluetooth, leveraging blood glucose readings to calculate insulin dosages.

Michael Kloss, CEO of Ascensia, stated that type 2 diabetes is a complex condition, particularly for individuals undergoing insulin therapy, where insulin injections are an integral part of daily diabetes management. Through its partnership with Voluntis, Ascensia is better positioned to assist patients with type 2 diabetes in managing their insulin treatment. This marks Ascensia’s first partnership in the realm of medication management, as Voluntis’ technology constitutes a critical component of comprehensive diabetes care.

Israeli connected glucose meter company DarioHealth did not launch new products or features at the conference, but instead announced a new charitable initiative called DarioCares: DarioHealth will donate a portion of its proceeds to charities and non-profit organizations working in the field of diabetes.

Chairman and CEO Erez Raphael stated that the ADA Scientific Sessions are the largest annual event in the diabetes industry, bringing together numerous non-governmental organizations. “We look forward to strengthening our relationships with these organizations through DarioCares, raising public awareness of diabetes, driving transformational change for patients, and making more significant contributions to the diabetes community.”

Like One Drop mentioned earlier, the founder of digital health company MedAngel is also a patient with type 1 diabetes. The company launched a temperature-controlled product at the ADA conference to monitor the temperature of temperature-sensitive drugs such as insulin. The complete set of products includes a wireless temperature sensor placed with the medication, as well as iOS and Android versions of the app, which can send reminder notifications to users when the storage temperature of the medication exceeds the safe range.

Laura Krämer, a pharmacist on the MedAngel team, stated that they initially aimed to address a very practical concern among medication users regarding drug storage. However, they later realized that temperature control is a critical factor in ensuring drug quality.

Throughout the entire pharmaceutical supply chain, suppliers and pharmacies conduct rigorous temperature monitoring. However, once medications are handed over to patients, maintaining temperature control often becomes challenging, leading to the frequent disposal of expensive drugs due to improper storage and resulting in unnecessary waste. The company’s wireless sensors are available for purchase at $49 on Amazon and the MedAngel website.

References:

http://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/news-and-announcements-american-diabetes-association-conference

https://professional.diabetes.org/meeting/scientific-sessions/77th-scientific-sessions