Bigfoot Biomedical Acquires Reinforcement Learning Algorithm for Insulin Titration Developed at McGill University

Bigfoot Biomedical announced the acquisition of a reinforcement learning algorithm for the titration of insulin settings developed at McGill University, Canada’s top ranked medical doctoral university in Montreal, Quebec. The algorithm is designed to observe how well people with insulin-requiring diabetes respond to a particular insulin dose, and provide a recommended adjustment based on their body’s response. It’s built to get smarter over time and to support healthcare professionals (HCPs) in improving diabetes care by helping their patients determine how much insulin to take and when.

McGill University conducted an in-silico retrospective study that applied the university’s algorithm to Bigfoot Unity user data from 20 patients to evaluate the algorithm’s ability to predict appropriate insulin dosing adjustments. Study results demonstrated the algorithm accurately predicted how the patient’s HCP adjusted their insulin dose.

The retrospective study performed by the McGill University team demonstrates strong promise for the algorithm’s ability to help further simplify diabetes management. We look forward to the responsibility of taking the necessary next steps to bring their innovation to the diabetes community, including research and development to incorporate the algorithm into the Bigfoot Unity platform and collaborating with the FDA on the appropriate regulatory pathway.

Jeffrey Brewer, CEO of Bigfoot Biomedical

“As a scientist, there’s no greater reward than seeing your innovations have a concrete, meaningful impact on society,” said Ahmad Haider, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Medicine at McGill University. “I’m thrilled at the opportunity to see Bigfoot Biomedical, with its strong commitment to simplifying diabetes management, bring our technology to people with insulin-requiring diabetes, a condition that impacts an estimated 72 million people worldwide.”

Bigfoot Biomedical’s currently available products include the Bigfoot Unity® Diabetes Management System, a simple and easy-to-use system that turns CGM data into clear and personalized dosing recommendations to help people with diabetes take the right amount of insulin at the right time. The system is particularly well-suited to those with type 2 diabetes who require insulin, a large group of people whose needs are too often overlooked.

Bigfoot Biomedical is preparing to expand access to the system by offering it through the pharmacy channel later this year. This commercial model will allow for Bigfoot Unity to be prescribed within a prescriber’s workflow and for their patients to be able to get it with a simple copayment.