Garmin is one of the first companies to integrate with Dexcom’s G6 CGM data after its real-time APIs were cleared by the FDA. Photo Credit: Dexcom
After getting the green light from the FDA this summer to let third parties access its CGM data, Dexcom is bringing on its first partner. The company announced an API integration with Garmin, which makes a wide range of wearables, including several smartwatches designed for serious athletes.
The integration would let people view their blood glucose levels and trends on their smartwatch or one of Garmin’s cycling computers. They can see a three-hour history of their blood glucose levels and where their numbers are heading, as well as performance data from their workouts.
This is helpful as exercise can affect blood sugar levels, making it important to check them before and after working out.
“Users can not only see which way their glucose levels are trending without having to take their phone out, but can even do so while working out, when glucose levels have the potential to fluctuate quickly,” Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales, said in a news release.
Currently, Dexcom’s G6 CGM is FDA cleared for real-time API integrations. The company is working on the newest rendition of its CGM, the G7. Earlier this year, it submitted an application for a CE Mark in Europe and began gathering data from a pivotal study in the U.S., Dexcom COO Quentin Blackford said in a July earnings call.
As for other planned API integrations, Dexcom didn’t disclose any additional partners. However, when the company first got FDA clearance, it announced both Garmin and Livongo as early partners. Dexcom had been working closely with Livongo since early 2020, when the companies struck a partnership to integrate data from Dexcom’s CGM with Livongo’s platform for diabetes management.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
Blackford also said two other digital health platforms for managing chronic conditions are using its real-time connectivity solutions: Welldoc and UnitedHealthcare’s Level2.
