Dexcom and Fitbit team up to develop smartwatch that measures blood sugar

Activity tracker company Fitbit and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) specialists Dexcom are working together to develop a smartwatch for people with diabetes to track their blood glucose levels.
The companies are hoping the wearable device, which will be called Ionic, will be due for release in 2018.
Fitbit is a leader in the activity tracker market, with its technology able to track steps, calories burnt and sleep. The devices mainly take the form of wristbands or watches.
The planned product will be combined with a Dexcom CGM system. Dexcom devices normally comprise a sensor sitting just under the skin which continuously measures glucose levels. Dexcom already has a partnership with Apple Watch which allows this data to be shown on their wearable device.
This feature will be a new development of the Ionic watch, which will also feature a new specialist sensor called SpO2, which can detect blood oxygen levels and track heart rate. The smartwatch will work with both Android and iOS devices.
Fitbit CEO James Park said: “The strength of our brand and our ability to track critical health metrics continuously for up to four-plus days, coupled with Dexcom’s market leadership in CGM, present a powerful combination that we hope will help millions of people better manage their diabetes.
“With Ionic, we are focused on driving positive health outcomes and more health focused tools, and this collaboration is a wonderful example of how we plan to bring that vision to our users.”
President and CEO of Dexcom Kevin Sayer added: “We believe that providing Dexcom CGM data on Fitbit Ionic, and making that experience available to users of both Android and iOS devices, will have a positive impact on the way people manage their diabetes.”