Women-owned tech company revolutionise type 1 diabetes management
Friday 8 March, 2019, London – Quin, a women-owned company, is expanding its research and development of a pioneering diabetes management app for people who are living with Type 1 diabetes, a condition that requires individuals to self-administer insulin throughout the day to ensure HbA1c (average blood glucose level over three months) are as close to normal as possible.1
Of the 3.8 million people who are currently living with diabetes in the UK,1 approximately 300,000 people are diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM).2,3As the molecular taxonomy for diabetes remains incomplete, current guidelines can only provide generic solutions as the factors that affect blood glucose is not fully understood. As a result, only 8 percent of this population achieve HbA1c targets with current diabetes management tools and devices.2,4
“I’ve been living with Type 1 diabetes for over 26 years and managing this condition means a lot of work. No doctor can tell me how much insulin I should take, and when I should take it. I use trial and error to figure this out on a daily basis and this is where Quin will make a difference. Today marks a huge step as Quin takes a seat in the tech space with an app that could transform the lives of so many people who are living with Type 1 diabetes so they can ultimately take back control and find their own personal balance,” said Isabella Degen, Quin Founder and Robotics Engineer.
People who take insulin are 2-3 times more likely to have fatigue, anxiety, stress and depression, due to the demands of diabetes.5 The Quin mobile medical app is taking an alternative approach to T1DM management. Using an AI (artificial intelligence)-powered algorithm, the app aims to help relieve the cognitive and psychological load of decision-making by tracking what may be affecting an individual’s blood glucose, and recalling what’s worked for them in the past to help them make the best possible self-care decisions.
“Our goal is to move away from the current ‘one-size-fits-all’ model and make Quin highly personalised to every person living with Type 1 diabetes so they can make more informed self-care decisions more quickly. People living with Type 1 diabetes are fundamental to our approach to generating breakthroughs in diabetes science and technology. We are in a testing phase now and initial feedback has been positive. We are continuously working to improve the app to be more intuitive and user-friendly and we are excited that we are moving in the right direction,” said Cyndi Williams, Quin Founder and CEO.
The app is currently in a beta version that is being built in collaboration with users as a part of a Research Testing Programme. This programme requires participants who are on MDI (multiple daily injections) therapy, use Dexcom continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and have access to an Apple iPhone, to use the app on a daily-basis for an 18-month trial period. As a consumer-led app, this research is an integral part of our development process, along with ongoing collaborative work funded by a research and development grant from government-funding body, Innovate UK. The research project will be the first step towards using ML (machine learning) algorithms to detect situations to allow for treatment advice in the future. Once this has been achieved, the app can be tested in clinical trials. To join the Research Testing Programme, please visit the Quin website on www.quintech.io
