As LifeScan-Medtronic Exclusivity Pact Ends, Medtronic Expands Alliance With Bayer

U.S. insulin pump maker Medtronic and blood glucose monitoring system maker LifeScan have reached the end of their three-year contract in which LifeScan was an exclusive provider to Medtronic.

Under the terms of the 2008 agreement, LifeScan provided Medtronic’s U.S. customers with its OneTouch® UltraLink® blood glucose meter for use with Medtronic’s MiniMed Paradigm® insulin pump and Guardian® REAL-Time continuous glucose monitoring system. The LifeScan meters wirelessly transmit glucose values to the monitoring systems.

LifeScan will continue providing its metering systems to Medtronic until that company can bring on meters from its new U.S. supplier, Bayer HealthCare.

Medtronic and Bayer have collaborated internationally since 2007 and have just announced the expansion of that collaboration to the U.S. market. In overseas markets, Bayer has provided its CONTOUR® Link meter to people using the Medtronic MiniMed Paradigm and Guardian REAL-Time systems.

Bayer Healthcare is a subsidiary of Bayer AG, a Switzerland-based pharmaceutical manufacturer. LifeScan is a subsidiary of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Diabetes Companies.