Bigfoot Biomedical Partners with Allegheny Health

Bigfoot Biomedical Inc. and Allegheny Health Network (AHN)—a Highmark Health company—are collaborating to further advance Bigfoot Biomedical’s data-driven solutions for optimizing the dosing and delivery of insulin for people with diabetes.
 
More than nine percent of the U.S. population, or 30.2 million people, has diabetes. Of those, current insulin users total roughly 6 million, while another nearly 6 million with type 2 diabetes could benefit from insulin therapy. While life-giving, insulin therapy is known to be complex, requiring people with diabetes to constantly measure, calculate and plan ahead using multiple devices.
 
The Bigfoot Unity system currently in development from Bigfoot Biomedical is a wirelessly connected platform intended for individuals on multiple daily injection therapy. Through the integration of connected medical device components and glucose and insulin data, the company’s vision is to reduce the burden of dosing and decision support for people living with insulin-requiring diabetes. As part of this collaboration, Bigfoot will work alongside AHN endocrinologists and primary care doctors to refine the health care provider-facing features of the Bigfoot Unity platform intended for use in a clinical workflow.
 
“We understand the urgent need to bring solutions to payers and health systems that will fit into their health care environments and be usable by a variety of health care providers,” said Jeffrey Brewer, Bigfoot CEO. “In AHN and Highmark Health, we’ve found a forward-thinking partner with whom we can collaborate to ensure that the solutions we’re developing help the majority of people for whom advanced technologies are often inaccessible, and the providers and payer networks who are supporting them.” 
 
Recognizing that treating diabetes requires comprehensive care, including medical, behavioral and nutritional support, the AHN Center for Diabetes and Endocrine Health has established a transformational patient-centered diabetes care model to more effectively meet the needs of patients living with diabetes. The model leverages the relationship of primary care and specialist providers, as well as technology and community-based services to improve outcomes and reduce burden for patients.
 
According to the center’s medical director, Patricia Bononi, MD, partnering with innovators such as Bigfoot Biomedical is in line with AHN’s focused and ongoing efforts to transform care for chronic diseases.
 
“Despite the pervasiveness of diabetes, patients have long faced a multitude of challenges in managing their condition, including the lack of user-friendly, safe,and cost-effective tools,” said Bononi. “We are extremely pleased to partner with Bigfoot Biomedical as they work to deliver cutting-edge yet simple solutions which have the potential to make a significant impact on the millions of people who live with the disease.”
 
This partnership marks the latest in a series of collaborations between Bigfoot Biomedical, based in Milpitas, California and other leading healthcare and medical device organizations as it makes progress toward commercializing its insulin delivery systems. Earlier this year, Bigfoot also announced a collaboration with Eli Lily & Company and a commercial supply agreement for pen needles with Owen Mumford, and previously announced a commercial agreement with Abbott for the integration of its category-defining glucose sensor, FreeStyle Libre, with Bigfoot’s connected pen and pump-based systems.