Devices for a Diabetes Epidemic (c) 2006 Windhover Information Inc., Norwalk, CT

With an increasing emphasis on tight glycemic control in diabetes care, innovative devices could play a big role, but diabetes is a deceptively complex market. Innovative companies need to differentiate themselves, yet not venture too far outside existing industry dynamics. As the first real−time continuous glucose monitors come to market, a handful of start−ups hopes to be ready for the second generation. Many of these are taking a side excursion into the market for in−hospital glucose monitoring, once a sleepy market but now growing rapidly as outcomes data shows reduced mortality and morbidty in intensively managed hyperglycemic hospital patients.