Diabetes management relies on MDI or insulin pumps to lower glucose levels and dose for carbohydrates, but insulin only addresses half of the equation. A dual hormone pump could release both insulin and glucagon independent of human intervention, greatly reducing the day to day burden of diabetes. Two companies are leading the charge and have versions being tested, and in some cases worn today.
Beta Bionics has been developing a dual hormone pump since the early 2000s. The iLet Bionic Pancreas spurred out of this project and is available on the market today. The bi-hormonal pump is still in development but Beta Bionics has had several working versions tested among small groups. They recently partnered with Xeris Biopharma, known for the Gvoke HypoPen, to solve glucagon stability challenges and create a new version of the pump that’s ready for testing.
Its dual hormone pump would be roughly the same form factor as the iLet Bionic Pancreas but with two infusion hormone cartridges, two tubes and two infusion sets. The company hopes to eventually connect the two tubes together and combine them into one infusion set.
Render of Beta Bionics’ dual hormone pump (Source: Beta Bionics)
Inreda is another company developing a dual hormone pump. The AP5 system is already being used by over 100 people in real-world trials, showing 80% average time-in-range and dramatically reduced hypoglycemia rates. The AP 6 is expected to be available later this year or early 2027 and the design is much smaller and sleeker.
Inreda’s AP5 (left) bi-hormonal pump is currently being used in testing. Its next-gen AP6 (right) model is half the size and more consumer-friendly. (Source: Inreda)
While both of these pumps allow for more hands-off control, there is additional maintenance that comes into play when managing two hormones. Having two infusions sets that need to be changed at different cadences may feel more disruptive to some. The trade-offs as they are today, may not be worth it for everyone. For a deep dive on the pros and cons of these systems, watch the video above. Are you excited about these pumps? Let us know in the comments.
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