The maker of a new category of small, wearable insulin patch pumps—designed to comfortably provide therapy to people with diabetes while they sleep—has raised $23.6 million in early venture capital to help continue clinical trials and build out its capacity.
Luna Diabetes has its sights set on people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes who currently rely on insulin pens for multiple daily injections, and plans to overcome its limitations by offering an overnight solution that won’t require them to wear a pump 24/7—an issue the company describes as the single-largest problem in all of diabetes.
“Picture this: someone with diabetes goes to bed with perfect glucose levels, only to wake up feeling terrible because their blood sugar spiked or dropped during the night,” Luna CEO John Sjölund wrote in a company blog post. “This happens every single night for millions of people worldwide. Traditional insulin pumps exist, but they're complex, expensive, and require a complete lifestyle change that many people aren't ready for.”
According to the company, more than 80% of the improvements in blood sugar from automated insulin delivery systems occur while the user is sleeping.
“During the day, people continue using their insulin pens as usual. But when they sleep, our tiny patch pump takes over, delivering automated doses of rapid-acting insulin based on continuous glucose monitoring data,” said Sjölund, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age four.
The San Diego-based company’s series A funding round was led by Vensana Capital, and included backing from the Swiss Diabetes Venture Fund, Ascensia Diabetes Care, Winklevoss Capital and others.
“Luna is solving a challenge the diabetes field has struggled with for decades—bringing the benefits of automation to injection users,” Vensana co-founder and Managing Partner Justin Klein said in a statement. The company said it launched a pivotal trial late last year.