Washington, D.C. – On the Medtech POV podcast , AdvaMed President and CEO Scott Whitaker sat down with Jacob “Jake” Leach, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Dexcom, to discuss the latest innovations from the company that provide millions of people easy ways to monitor their glucose levels.

Dexcom products include the G7 Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) system, which is eligible for people ages two and older with any type of diabetes, including type 1, type 2, and gestational, and Stelo by Dexcom, a glucose biosensor for adults with type 2 diabetes who aren’t taking insulin and those with prediabetes, as well as consumers who want to learn more about their glucose health.

Stelo is the first FDA approved glucose biosensor available over the counter and without a prescription. Both devices provide timely, accurate glucose levels without finger sticks, a welcome development in diabetes management.

Leach has worked at Dexcom for almost 21 years and led the development of the evolving, popular technology that has fueled the company’s growth from 30 employees when he started to over 10,000 employees around the world today.

He describes the evolution of complex diabetes management, with finger sticks and calibration required, to a biosensor worn on the arm, connected to a smartphone, without any finger sticks required.

“I think none of us at the time quite understood how impactful this technology would ultimately become,” Leach says. “And as we continue to develop and improve the experience, enhancing things like accuracy, connectivity, and making it easier to use, we see more possibilities. The number of people who can benefit from CGM technology is massive.”

Leach describes the importance of hearing from customers on how the technology has improved their lives and how the customer experience is built into the company culture. Stelo, for example, helps educate customers on the relationship between glucose and diet, sleep, and exercise.

“I was just talking to a Stelo customer who was describing that his physician had told him, ‘you need to get more exercise.’ And so he’s thinking, ‘I need to do a one-hour, hard intensity cardio session.’ But what he learned from wearing Stelo was, really, a walk can do wonders,” Leach says.

In addition to providing personalized insights, CGMs like G7 help users avoid dangerous complications that lead to emergency room visits and hospitalizations. An under-appreciated fact among policymakers is avoiding hospitalization, in addition to serving patients, is a cost savings to the health care system, Leach and Whitaker agreed.

To hear the full conversation, download the Medtech POV podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever podcast streaming is available. Visit AdvaMed’s website for more information on the podcast and past guests.

The Medtech POV podcast is hosted by Scott Whitaker, President and CEO of AdvaMed, the world’s largest medical technology association. It premiered in April 2021 and features interviews with a range of health care experts, medtech leaders, and policy experts. In each episode, Whitaker and guests cover the intersection of medtech and policy from every perspective, including current issues in business, policy, and current events.