The FDA approved on 6/21/2018 the Eversense Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) system for use in people 18 years of age and older with diabetes. This is the first FDA-approved CGM system to include a fully implantable sensor to detect glucose, which can be worn for up to 90 days.

“The FDA is committed to advancing novel products that leverage digital technology to improve patient care,” said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. “These technologies allow patients to gain better control over their health. This approval of a more seamless digital system that gives patients the ability to effectively manage a chronic disease like diabetes is a vivid illustration of the potential for these mobile platforms.”

The Eversense CGM system uses a small sensor that is implanted just under the skin by a qualified health care provider during an outpatient procedure. After it is implanted, the sensor regularly measures glucose levels in adults with diabetes for up to 90 days. The implanted sensor works with a novel light-based technology to measure glucose levels and send information to a mobile app to alert users if glucose levels are too high (hyperglycemia) or too low (hypoglycemia). The sensor is coated with a fluorescent chemical which, when exposed to blood sugar, produces a small amount of light that is measured by the sensor. Every five minutes, measurements are sent to a compatible mobile device (e.g., smart phone or tablet) that is running a device-specific mobile app.

The company's website can be found here.

The FDA is developing new streamlined procedures for approving software and mobile medical apps. The agency envisions a future regulatory model that evaluates the manufacturers' commitment to quality,organizational excellence, and monitoring of products once approved. This proposed approach would first evaluate the manufacturer opposed to the individual product.