The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust have announced a joint initiative with Medtronic to accelerate the development of new glucose-sensing technology.

According to the Pioneer Press, Medtronic will be eligible to receive up to $17 million through the JDRF-HCT Sensor Initiative, which aims to advance the accuracy and reliability of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices and develop artificial pancreas systems for people with type 1 diabetes. The funding is contingent on the Minneapolis-based medical technology company reaching specific development milestones over the next three years.

The partnership will enable Medtronic to accelerate the development of a novel sensor system that combines two unique sensing technologies in a single device. Continuous glucose sensors provide both a real-time snapshot of the glucose level of a person with diabetes and trend information on whether glucose levels are moving up or down, as well as how fast. While current CGM devices have helped improve glucose control in people with type 1 diabetes, next-generation sensors promise to deliver improved accuracy and reliability, enabling more aggressive insulin management.

"Accurate and reliable sensor technology has long been identified as a necessity for the realization of an artificial pancreas," said JDRF president and CEO Jeffrey Brewer. "Medtronic's development of an orthogonally redundant sensor system will greatly accelerate this path. We are excited to bring our long-standing partnership with Medtronic to a new level through this Sensor Initiative, which could improve the outcomes of people with diabetes."