Cooperation between Dexcom and Perfood takes smart diabetes management to the next level

13.05.2024 17:49

The Dexcom and Perfood partnership with the glucura app enables people with type 2 diabetes without insulin therapy to personalize and visualize their diabetes management using rtCGM and artificial intelligence. As part of the partnership, Dexcom and Perfood will work together to integrate healthcare providers into the care process. Physicians can now conveniently prescribe glucura in combination with the Dexcom G7 rtCGM using a standard form 16 prescription.

Dexcom and Perfood are now working closely together to improve the quality of life of people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and to support them in improving their glucose levels even more effectively. The two companies will pool their medical and technological expertise so that those affected can benefit from state-of-the-art digital solutions in managing their diabetes. Among other things, Dexcom will be a key partner for the digital health application (DiGA) "glucura" developed by Perfood and will complement it with its Dexcom G7 rtCGM [1] system. The new cooperation not only represents a milestone in the provision of DiGAs, but also enables healthcare providers to gain valuable insights – such as time-in-range – in diabetes management.

The integration of the Dexcom system into glucura enables those affected and their healthcare providers to closely monitor the progression of T2DM, in accordance with guideline recommendations, and to treat it sustainably with personalized nutritional adjustments. The interaction of both solutions combines blood glucose monitoring with personalized nutritional therapy and targeted biofeedback. The glucura app is extremely easy to use and approved for patients of all ages (the Dexcom G7 is approved for use from age 2). Another distinctive feature of glucura is that an AI-supported algorithm enables the sensor manufacturer's glucose data to be used to generate blood glucose feedback for meals over the full three months of DiGA use. Thanks to visualization and personalization using rtCGM and artificial intelligence, those affected continue to use the DiGA intensively, even months later.

Dr. med. Dr. rer. nat. Torsten Schröder, lead developer of glucura and co-founder and Chief Medical Officer at Perfood, says: "Patients who do not require insulin make up the majority of people with type 2 diabetes. In our experience, sensor systems make an important contribution to their treatment. That's why we are delighted to have Dexcom, a pioneer in diabetes management, at our side, supporting us with state-of-the-art systems and expertise."„

Alexander Fröhlich, Managing Director of Dexcom Deutschland GmbH, also welcomes the new partnership: "Especially in type 2 diabetes, biofeedback plays a very important role in controlling glucose levels and perhaps even preventing the need for insulin therapy. By collaborating with such an intuitive app as glucura, we are enabling even more people with diabetes to better understand their metabolism in everyday life."„

How DiGA and rtCGM work together

Integrated into glucura's AI-based app, the Dexcom G7 rtCGM system sends glucura users a sensor reading every five minutes for up to ten days, demonstrating how their metabolism responds to different meals or eating habits. Based on these measurements, glucura's digital therapy calculates personalized nutritional recommendations. This way, glucura guides users individually to reduce, replace, or combine specific meals that are responsible for adverse glucose levels. With the help of artificial intelligence, glucura's proprietary algorithm predicts individual metabolic responses to specific foods, even after the sensor phase. Perfood's customer service is available free of charge and at any time to both those affected and those treating them. Initial pilot study data [2] show that twice as many patients were within the therapeutic target range of less than 7.0 HbA1c after three months of using glucura than before use. Thirty-four percent of them even achieved an HbA1c below 6.5 percent, which indicates remission. Their BMI also decreased by more than one point on average.

Type 2 diabetes is a growing global health problem [3]. According to the German Diabetes Health Report (2023), the number of documented cases in Germany is estimated at 8.7 million. This corresponds to a prevalence of 9.8 percent [4]. In addition, there is an estimated unreported number of approximately two million people who are already suffering from T2DM without knowing it. 5 With increasing life expectancy and constant incidence and mortality rates, an increase in cases of around 60 percent is forecast from 2020 to 2040 [5].

About Dexcom, Inc.

Dexcom, Inc. empowers people to manage their diabetes through innovative real-time continuous glucose monitoring (rtCGM) systems. Founded in 1999 and headquartered in San Diego, California, the company has grown into a global provider of diabetes care technologies. By listening to the needs of users, caregivers, and providers, Dexcom strives to simplify and improve diabetes management worldwide. rtCGM systems are medical devices that can display patients' blood glucose levels (including the rate and direction of change) throughout the day and night. Dexcom rtCGM reduces some of the guesswork involved in making diabetes treatment decisions, providing our users with greater peace of mind.

About Perfood

Lübeck-based Perfood GmbH develops digital therapies based on personalized nutrition. The company was founded by Dominik Burziwoda von Papen (CEO), Dr. Dr. Torsten Schröder (Chief Medical Officer), Dr. Christoph Twesten (CTO), and Prof. Dr. Christian Sina in 2017 at the University of Lübeck, one of Germany's leading life science universities. The team consists of more than 80 employees from the fields of medicine, data science, nutritional science, computer engineering, business, and design. Perfood collaborates with leading research institutions such as the Universities of Lübeck and Hohenheim, the Leibniz Association, and the Helmholtz Society. The technology developed by Perfood is used by academic institutions such as the Leibniz Center and the University of Lübeck. The company's lead investors include the Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund (BIVF), a leading private equity firm in the life science sector.

Sources

1 rtCGM = real-time continuous glucose monitoring
2 Scientific evaluation concept glucura dated 29.11.2023
3 Indication-specific reports for the joint institutions and quality reports from 16 associations of statutory health insurance physicians. DMP Type 2 Diabetes: Quality Assurance Results as of April 8, 2022. [Internet]. 2022. Available from: https://www.kbv.de/media/sp/DMP_Diabetes2_Ergebnisse_QS.pdf
4 German Diabetes Society (DDG), diabetesDE-German Diabetes Aid. German Diabetes Health Report 2023: The Current Situation. 2022. Epidemiology of Diabetes in Germany. Available from: https://www.diabetesde.org/system/files/documents/gesundheitsbericht_2023_final.pdf
5 Tönnies T, Hoyer A, Brinks R. Productivity-adjusted life years lost due to type 2 diabetes in Germany in 2020 and 2040. Diabetologia. 2021;64:1288–97.