Tandem pump approved for Canada..should we?

#21

I’m meeting with a Tandem rep in the near future. I’ll ask if he knows anything. I’ll also ask him if the pump will be upgradable remotely, because I find it so odd that there is no mention of this feature anywhere in Canada.

I did hear from a friend of mine (who is not on this forum, but keeps very on top of all the developments) that the G6 is coming in the near future. I’ll ask my endocrinologist if he knows anything about this when I see him next week.

I don’t believe applications to Health Canada are public, so it’s possible Dexcom applied a while ago and just didn’t announce it. (I don’t remember Dexcom announcing Health Canada applications for the G5, but maybe they did and I missed it.)

#22

Thank you so much @Tim35, that’s a super nice offer from you. We also have our daughter’s old Medtronic pump here, it was giving motor errors when she ran out of insulin, and because it was out of warrenty Medtronic ended up giving us a loaner pump. But I’m sure it’s still fine to use. We might be finding out! :slight_smile:

The tandem rep left a message for me today and I wasn’t able get ahold of her to return her call, but I just have this gut feeling that waiting for the Tandem will be the right move for us.

#23

I spoke to someone from Tandem today, who has forwarded my info to a Canadian representative so hopefully I can get some up to date info on timeline in Canada.

#24

Yes It may be too late to change my mind. And that may make my life simpler that the decisions been made. I will be using my Dexcom with it not going to try their CGM right now.

#25

I’m in the same predicament. I’ve been eligible for a new pump now for 1.5 years, but was holding out for the approval of the 670. My old pump died two days after Health Canada approved the 670 and Tslim. I have a loaner for three months from Medtronic, if I choose the Tslim, there will be no grace period for the loaner! My nurse said that it will be available for me in early December. I think I will go with the T slim since I’m also a Dexcom user…didn’t know that Dexcom 6 wasn’t yet available in Canada. Arghh!

#26

So I just spoke to Tandem again to confirm the information I was told before. And the rep told me that tandem was just waiting for Dexcom G6 to be released in Canada and then all updates from tandem including the basal IQ and control IQ (later in the year)would be available for download to Canadian customers. They said their information reflects a Dexcom G6 release in early 2019.

#27

@Sprocket1 - To put it bluntly. I flat out do not believe the Tandem Rep who is providing that information to you.

I like the Tandem product and the company. But this just does not pass the sniff test. I could be wrong. But I do not believe that information is accurate nor that it actually comes from Tandem Corporate.

#28

I agree that the timeframe in Canada isn’t yet known, because it depends on approvals. But I think there’s no doubt that it is coming.

From the recent Tandem 3Q18 conference call (transcript available at https://seekingalpha.com/article/4217453-tandem-diabetes-care-inc-tndm-ceo-kim-blickenstaff-q3-2018-results-earnings-call-transcript )

Yes, we haven’t really given any color as to the size of the market in the different geographies other than I would think Canada in particular. They have about 300,000 pumpers there. And so that’s one of the larger opportunities. But beyond the Animas opportunity we’re launching with t:slim X2 with the G5 integration and so growth opportunities beyond next year really come from our ability to launch the Basel-IQ and the Control-IQ algorithms there down the road.

Personally I think the t:slim is an excellent choice. The upgrades will come to Canada, and the G6 plus advanced algorithms have been quite well received in the US.

#29

I just met with a Tandem rep on Monday and also happened to have an endo appointment that day as well.

Both the Tandem rep and my endo, with no prompts from me, said that they’d heard that the G6 was “just around the corner.”

The Tandem rep made it sound like Basal-IQ was just waiting on the G6, and after that it would be available. The rep also said that the closed-loop system and the phone functionality will be coming to Canada down the road as well. He also confirmed that updates will be downloadable, which I was concerned about since I hadn’t read that anywhere in Tandem’s Canadian marketing material.

All in all it sounds exciting, and I liked the pump enough that I plan on upgrading as soon as the insurance forms are available.

#30

That is great news Jen! Did they give you an estimate of when the insurance papers will be available? I am having a difficult time waiting…

#31

He said that I could probably have a pump in my hands in one to two months. That implies that the insurance forms should be out a bit sooner than that.

So hopefully by the new year, at the longest!

#32

I am glad. That is exactly the same sequence of events I was told. My daughter has an appointment with her diabetes team tomorrow and will hopefully be in full operation with the X2 by early 2019. This will be her first pump and I am so pleased that it has such good reviews and superb features and functions.