Livongo Health expands under new offering with Abbott Labs

Livongo Health, a consumer digital health company is focused on the treatment of chronic diseases, is integrating its service with Abbott Labs’ continuous glucose monitoring system.

Livongo is about empowering people with chronic conditions live better and healthier lives, CEO Glen Tullman said on stage at Disrupt SF.  Livongo started with a connected blood glucose monitor that captures data and sends it to the cloud, where it can be processed and analyzed. From here, Livongo delivers real-time insights to customers as well as their physician and even family members.

Livongo started with a product to manage diabetes. And has since added two other devices and services, one focused on diabetes prevention and another on managing hypertension. The company has raised more than $240 million since its founding in 2014.

The deal with Abbott Labs marks a new kind of expansion for Livongo. The collaboration lets Livongo offer Abbott’s glucose monitoring system (known as the FreeStyle Libre Pro System) to its members with diabetes. Instead of having prick their finger continuously, customers can now put a patch on, which delivers readings whenever they want. Members then receive a visual snapshot of their glucose data to give them a clearer view on their glucose levels as well as patterns. Members will also be able to share that data with their personal physicians.

“Our business is not only about hardware,” Jennifer Schneider, Livongo’s chief medical officer said on stage Wednesday when asked if the relationship with Abbott cannibalizes its existing monitor business. “It’s an end-to-end solution to allow and empower people with chronic conditions to live better lives, and that includes a piece of hardware, it includes really the data, the analytics around personalizing the data we get back to affect behavior change, and then services arms as well.”

“So from a philosophy standpoint any device where we easily collect data, that’s great.”