FDA Clears Bionic Pancreas Developed in BU Lab for People with Type 1 Diabetes

A bionic pancreas—a wearable, pocket-sized, automated insulin delivery device—that was first developed in a Boston University lab has been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The iLet Bionic Pancreas is now commercially available, bringing fresh hope to the almost two million Americans with type 1 diabetes.

The approval is a massive milestone in a two-decade—and deeply personal—journey. Invented 20 years ago in the lab of Ed Damiano, a BU College of Engineering professor of biomedical engineering, the bionic pancreas combines an insulin infusion pump with algorithm-controlled dosing decision software. Damiano was inspired to develop the system by his son, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was just 11 months old.

Read the full story on BU’s The Brink.