Google sibling Verily to launch connected diabetes therapies
It's teamed up with a French pharma company to help type 2 patients better manage their treatments.
Google's parent company, Alphabet, is wasting no time helping to fund intelligent medical treatments. Just a month after it teamed up with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to pioneer so-called bioelectronic medicines capable of treating chronic disease, Verily Life Sciences (formerly Google Life Sciences), confirmed today that it has teamed up with French pharmaceutical company Sanofi to form a new joint venture that will help treat diabetes.
In a joint press release, the two companies said they will call the new $500 million venture Onduo and will focus on enabling people with diabetes to "live full, healthy lives by developing comprehensive solutions that combine devices, software, medicine, and professional care to enable simple and intelligent disease management." Initially, Onduo will work on type 2 diabetes, helping patients make informed decisions about their health, whether that's managing their medication or suggesting ways to improve their overall quality of life.
Reuters reports that the products on sale will include connected insulin pens and will also involve the launch of various online services. Healthcare networks in California and Pennsylvania have already signed up to help clinically trial its solutions and Onduo has a direct line to support groups like Taking Control of Your Diabetes, which will provide feedback on future product designs.