Patients living with diabetes in Canada will soon be able to use Dexcom’s G7 device, following approval by Health Canada.

The continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system will be available to people aged two years and older with any type of diabetes. Dexcom expects the device to be available to Canadians by the end of 2023.

Dexcom’s G7 was CE marked in March 2022 and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved it in December 2022.

There are approximately three million Canadians who have been diagnosed with diabetes, according to the Canadian government. Access to the G7 will provide blood sugar monitoring via one of the latest CGM technologies on the market. Already approved in Canada is Abbott’s Freestyle Libre series, Medtronic’s Minimed and Guardian devices, and Dexcom’s own G6 device.

According to Dexcom, the device warms up twice as quick as other CGMs on the market. It is also smaller than the G6 and has improved alert customisation. The diabetes device giant said it is currently working with insulin pump partners to integrate the G7 into insulin delivery systems.

Real-time continuous glucose monitoring is a market that is going from strength to strength. With patients increasingly keen to take control of individual health management, and technological innovation facilitating continuous monitoring, the diabetes device market is growing rapidly.

A market model by GlobalData forecasts that the diabetes care device market will be worth $33.3bn by 2030. For CGMs, the market is estimated to reach $2bn, up from $600m in 2015.

“Real-time continuous glucose monitoring (rtCGM) has become the standard of care for many people living with diabetes, with clinical evidence supporting its effectiveness for reducing A1C, increasing time spent in the target glucose range, reducing the number of low glucose events and reducing the time spent with dangerous low glucose,” said Alice Cheng, endocrinologist at Trillium Health Partners, Credit Valley Hospital and St. Michael’s Hospital (Unity Health Toronto).

“With approval of Dexcom G7, the newest glucose sensor to come to Canada, patients will have a new, simple to start and easy to use tool in their diabetes management toolbox to effectively manage their diabetes and make important health decisions backed by health data and proven results.”