Updated: Monday November 23, 2020 @ 9:30am EST
According to the Health Canada website, Tandem Diabetes Care has received Health Canada approval for their Control-IQ technology. You can access the official Tandem Diabetes Care press release, here.
Read on to learn more about the new software update as learned from our neighbours in the south (Control-IQ was approved by the FDA in the United States on December 13, 2019) and whether it might be a good choice for you and your diabetes management adventure.
Disclaimer: Please check out CIM’s Partners Page to learn more about the companies we work with. This post was delivered as part of an annual sponsorship package with our partner, but our partners do not review the content before publication and we strive to bring accurate and helpful information to the T1D online community. We still thought this info was important for you to know about.
Control-IQ is the latest software update available in the Tandem Diabetes Care family. It is an automated insulin delivery (AID) system, that incorporates the Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitor system with the Tandem Diabetes Care t:slim X2 insulin pump. The software update is the second major update available from Tandem Diabetes Care in Canada – the first being Basal IQ which was approved in December 2019 and began being rolled out in February 2020.
Tandem Diabetes Care plans to begin making the remote software updates available to all in-warranty t:slim X2 pump users in Canada, FREE OF CHARGE (through December 31, 2021), beginning in March 2021. New Tandem users can expect pumps to ship with Control-IQ already active in the first quarter of 2021.
Tandem’s t:slim X2 is unique from other insulin pumps in many ways but perhaps the most distinct difference is that it allows for remote software updates. Control-IQ is a clear example of why this option is so revolutionary and impactful for the diabetes community. The t:slim X2’s remote software update capabilities mean that with the approval Control-IQ (and pending details on distribution), current t:slim X2 users will be able to use a novel technology without needing to purchase new hardware, or waiting around until their 5-year warranty is up (which, in some provinces triggers the availability of new pump funding). Instead through a simple online update process, users can gain access to the new technology quickly and easily. Recently, CIM’s Kendra updated her t:slim X2 with Basal IQ, the precursor to Control-IQ. You can read about her experience with the update here.
Now, getting back to Control-IQ and what makes it so special. We’ve answered a few of the biggest questions we’ve heard from the community leading up to this anticipated launch below.
What is the difference between Control-IQ and Basal IQ?
Control-IQ functions with an algorithm that adjusts basal delivery when blood glucose (BG) levels are running both high and low to help keep BGs in range. It also provides automatic correction boluses to help fight high BGs when a basal adjustment isn’t quite enough.
Basal IQ adjust only for low BGs using a basal adjustment algorithm. The new technology aims to not only stave off low BGs, but also help out on the high-end as well.
What is special about Tandem’s Control-IQ?
At the recent American Diabetes Association’s Scientific Sessions, two posters were presented looking at the outcomes of Control-IQ use. In addition to previous study results presented at AADE 2020 suggest that Control-IQ produced the following results. These results compare a user’s first 30-day experience with Control-IQ, compared to the 30-days prior to starting Control-IQ:
- Increased Time in Range for users of 2.4% (for an average of 78% Time in Range) when using Control-IQ (compared to when not)
- 2.3 hours LESS time spent over 10.0 mmol
- Estimated A1C fell, as a result of this 30-day period, by .3%
- 96% of the time, users remained within the automated closed-loop system (not in manual mode
How can I get the update?
We expect that the update will happen in a similar way to how Basal IQ was rolled out. Current t:slim X2 users will likely get an email to their inbox instructing them on how to access online training. Online training for Basal IQ took between 30 and 45 minutes.
As always, we are excited by the continued forward momentum in the diabetes space and look forward to future developments and products that will help make life with Type 1 just a little bit easier.
If you have questions about Control-IQ that we can help to answer, drop them in the comments!
