embecta Embarks on New Journey: Making Diabetes Care More Effective and More Manageable
Diabetes diagnoses rise globally year after year. The International Diabetes Foundation (IDF) reports that 537 million adults are currently living with diabetes. That number will increase sharply over the next 25 years, according to embecta (EMBC) Chief Executive Officer Dev Kurdikar, by almost 250 million. In a recent interview, Kurdikar discussed just how prevalent diabetes is globally and how embecta is accelerating the journey to better diabetes management.
Although 537 million is an astounding number to grasp, to give some perspective, in the United States, over one in 10 people, or 11.3%, of the U.S. population is living with the disease today. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S.
As part of its mission to increase public awareness and encourage health improvement for those living with diabetes, the IDF called for “increase[d] access to diabetes education to help improve the lives of the more than half a billion people living with diabetes worldwide.” This call is where embecta comes in; as a medical device company that recently split off from leading global medical technology company BD, its sole mission to make diabetes management and education more efficient, accessible and effective.
“We work very closely with advocacy organizations, payers, government agencies and health care providers to make sure that people with diabetes have access to our products and, equally importantly, have access to educational tools and resources that they need to better manage their diabetes,” said Kurdikar.
As a former part of BD, embecta is continuing a legacy as the oldest and largest insulin injection device manufacturer in the world. In fact, BD started manufacturing the world's first specialized insulin syringe in 1924, just two years after insulin was first used to treat diabetes. After almost 100 years of helping people with diabetes, embecta is a global leader in insulin injection devices, manufacturing about 8 billion units a year that are used by approximately 30 million people in over 100 countries.
Spinning off from BD on April 1, 2022, and subsequently listing on Nasdaq, embecta is now looking to build upon its range of diabetes care solutions and building a technological infrastructure to make living with diabetes easier.
One of these innovations includes embecta’s Diabetes Care App, which now has over 550,000 downloads in 11 countries and has been favorably reviewed by the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists, a professional organization for health care providers who serve people with diabetes.
“People with diabetes essentially function as their own health care provider…We launched [the app] with the idea that it would be a channel [to] the diabetes community, a channel for us to support them,” said Kurdikar.
The app experience evolves as the patient progresses in their disease journey, using adaptive learning methods that personalize it to their needs. While tracking their blood glucose levels, it also provides patients with diabetes and lifestyle content for their individual emotional and functional needs, with expert content and data-driven insights that may help patients be more informed about their disease.
“It has personalized articles, videos and tutorials that are helpful for people with diabetes, and they can track their diabetes with the tracking tools that are embedded in the app,” Kurdikar added.
Educational tools for people with diabetes, healthcare providers and families regarding diabetes care and management are also part of embecta’s mission.
“Diabetes can come with unique challenges. It really requires a community to help support people with diabetes,” said Kurdikar.
The company utilizes social media, sponsors scientific seminars and runs a popular forum on injection technique and therapy.
“We try to educate the ecosystem that supports people with diabetes…[so] that they have the right tools and resources,” Kurdikar added.
With just nine months under its belt on Nasdaq, embecta is already expanding its portfolio of partners to make managing diabetes even easier. These product partnerships span the globe and include:
- Intuity Medical: POGO Automatic blood glucose monitor, the only FDA-cleared automatic blood glucose monitor.
- Capteur Protect: Protective patch for Flash Glucose Monitoring/Continuous Glucose Monitoring in France. The patch makes glucose monitoring easier for sports or extracurricular activities.
- Youkey Medical: Handheld ultrasound for lipo-detection. Used by providers in China to locate hypertrophy to better educate patients on injection site rotation.
Looking ahead, embecta plans to continue expanding its portfolio of technologies that help people manage their diabetes. Beyond expanding its portfolio through partnerships, the company is seeking new and exciting acquisitions and is investing in developing next generation technologies.
“Our singular mission and focus is [to] make life better for the millions of people that are dealing with diabetes. We are excited about our ability to have an impact on this community,” said Kurdikar.
Other Topics
Public Companies
MarketInsite
Nasdaq
Nasdaq’s Marketinsite offers actionable insights on a variety of market-moving topics. Learn from our thought leaders who are driving the capital markets of tomorrow.
Read MarketInsite's Bio