Bigfoot Biomedical Announces Partnership With Allegheny Health Network to Advance Innovative Solution 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 Dr. 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.

About Bigfoot Biomedical, Inc.

Bigfoot Biomedical was founded by a team of people with a personal connection to insulin-requiring diabetes. With its Autonomy and Unity systems, the company seeks to reduce the burden of living with insulin-requiring diabetes and to maximize the leverage of health care providers through data, connectivity, automation, and artificial intelligence. Learn more at bigfootbiomedical.com. Follow us on Twitter @BigfootBiomed and Facebook.

About Allegheny Health Network

Allegheny Health Network (AHN.org), a Highmark Health company, is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving the greater Western Pennsylvania region. The Network is composed of eight hospitals, including Allegheny General Hospital, its flagship academic medical center in Pittsburgh, Allegheny Valley Hospital in Natrona Heights, Canonsburg Hospital in Canonsburg, Forbes Hospital in Monroeville, Jefferson Hospital in Jefferson Hills, Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie, West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh and Westfield Memorial Hospital in Westfield, NY. The Network provides patients with access to a complete spectrum of advanced medical services, including nationally recognized programs for primary and emergency care, cardiovascular disease, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, women’s health, diabetes and more. It also is home to a comprehensive research institute; Health + Wellness Pavilions; an employed physician organization, home and community based health services and a group purchasing organization. The Network employs approximately 20,000 people, has more than 2,400 physicians on its medical staff and serves as a clinical campus for Drexel University College of Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.

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