Study Could Boost Medtronic Insulin Pump Sales

A new study shows that Medtronic Inc. insulin pumps achieve better blood sugar control than multiple daily insulin injections for Type 2 diabetics – a conclusion that should help the device gain further market penetration. Most people with the condition, in which the body produces insulin but doesn’t use it properly, can get by with diet and oral medication. The study, sponsored by Medtronic’s diabetes division in Northridge, took 590 patients with poor control of their blood sugar and put half on pumps while the other half remained on multiple injections. Blood sugar is measured on the A1C scale, with 5 normal for non-diabetics, 7 the target for diabetics, and 8 or above considered “uncontrolled” diabetes. On average, the study patients started at 9. After six months, those with pumps were down to 7.9, while those on injections improved slightly to 8.6. Chuck Yerich, Medtronic’s vice president of international marketing in Northridge, said until now there wasn’t a landmark study to show the benefits of pump therapy for Type 2 patients. Medtronic plans to use the study as a marketing tool targeting doctors. “It’s a big statement to get physicians to think differently and see if more patients in their practice could use insulin pump therapy,” he said. The company estimates nearly 5 million Type 2 diabetics in the U.S. need insulin. Professor Yves Reznik at the University Hospital of Caen, France, who worked on the study, said the results “could redefine the standard of care for the growing population of insulin-requiring Type 2 diabetes patients.” Dr. Karin Hehenberger, founder of chronic disease community website firm Lyfebulb in New York, said research has confirmed the benefits of pump therapy for Type 1 diabetics, but it’s been more difficult to prove for Type 2 because the severity of the disease varies from person to person. “Medtronic is the one doing most of the research on this,” she said. “The longer the disease goes, the more uncontrolled it becomes and the more injections you have to take. Only a minority of Type 2 patients have to take insulin, but it’s still a large number. That’s why Medtronic is saying instead of injections they can wear the pump.” Closer to Home Simi Valley Hospital plans to open the Wood Ranch Imaging Center so residents in Simi, Moorpark and Thousand Oaks can have lab appointments closer to home. The Imaging Center is set to open this summer at 124 Macaw Lane in Simi Valley. The 1,800-square-foot center will provide CT scans and X-rays, as well as blood drawing and specimen collection and drop-off for lab tests. “Traditionally, people have been expected to come to the hospital for all of their services,” Brian Ruditsky, the hospital’s director of business development, said in a statement. “However, with busy schedules, traffic and so forth, it’s often hard to do that if you live any distance away from the hospital. Our goal is to deliver services right away where our community needs them.” Staff for the imaging center will come from Simi Valley Hospital, owned by non-profit Adventist Health in Roseville. Lab Notes Non-profit Providence Health & Services, which owns three hospitals in the Valley, will open a new palliative care center in Cerritos and has hired Dr. Ira Byock to manage it. The Institute for Human Caring will deal with physical, emotional, social and spiritual ways to relieve suffering. Byock is an expert on end-of-life care and author of the books “Dying Well” and “The Best Possible Care.” … Dr. Azmi Atiya is the new president of the medical staff at Northridge Hospital Medical Center. A thoracic surgeon, Atiya joined the hospital’s medical staff in 2001. As president, he is responsible for enforcement of the medical staff bylaws, rules and regulations. Northridge Hospital Medical Center is a 409-bed facility owned by Dignity Health, a non-profit based in San Francisco. … IPC The Hospitalist Co. Inc. has appointed Jeffrey Winter to the new position of senior vice president of sales and marketing. The North Hollywood company, which supplies doctors to hospitals and nursing homes, has grown by acquiring 295 local doctors groups, according to its annual report. However, the company also has increased revenue by signing agreements with new hospitals and finding doctors to refer patients to hospitals. Winter will lead these sales and marketing efforts. He previously worked as vice president of new business development for Corizon Health, a provider of health services in prisons. … Dr. Bridget Duffy has joined the board of Essia Health, an electronic medical record consulting firm in Woodland Hills. She currently serves as chief medical officer at Vocera Communications Inc., a San Jose company that provides communications systems for hospitals. Essia said Duffy’s expertise will help the company shape the adoption of new information technologies to optimize the provider and patient experience. Staff Writer Joel Russell can be reached at (818) 316-3124 or [email protected].