MiniMed Autumn Update: MiniMed Flex launches as Fit patch pump reaches FDA

Image courtesy of Medtronic MiniMed, Inc

For years, MiniMed, formerly known as Medtronic Diabetes, has been associated with a fairly traditional idea of insulin pump therapy. Now, under their new structure, the company are looking to bring their product range up-to-date and with new pumps that could rival Omnipod and other medtech competitors.

MiniMed’s plans include developing different pump formats, different CGM options and algorithms intended to require progressively less intervention from the person using them.

MiniMed launched the Flex insulin pump in the US in June with its Simplera Sync sensor, followed in August by a version using the Instinct sensor made by Abbott. At the start of September, the company confirmed they have submitted their first tubeless patch pump, MiniMed Fit, to the FDA for regulatory approval.

MiniMed Flex is still a tubed insulin pump, although physically it is quite a departure from the MiniMed 780G. MiniMed describes Flex as approximately half the size of the 780G and roughly the size of two stacked insulin vials. Despite that reduction, it retains a 300-unit insulin reservoir. The traditional pump screen has disappeared, with most interaction instead taking place through a compatible smartphone.

MiniMed have described the Fit as a patch pump capable of holding 300 units of insulin and potentially staying in place for up to 7 days, with smartphone control and automated insulin delivery. This goes beyond the capabilities of the existing Omnipod 5 tubeless patch pump, which for comparison, holds up to 200 units of insulin and operates for up to three days, or 72 hours. Fit is therefore being designed to hold 50% more insulin while potentially remaining in use for more than twice as long.

If MiniMed can reliably deliver a seven-day, 300-unit patch pump, it would challenge some of the assumptions that have developed around how often a tubeless pump needs to be replaced.

MiniMed have confirmed that they are targeting a full US launch in summer 2027.

What about MiniMed in the UK?

MiniMed is already a familiar name within NHS diabetes technology, particularly through hybrid closed-loop (HCL).

The MiniMed 780G is one of the systems currently available through specialist NHS diabetes services as part of England's phased HCL rollout which began in April 2024 and is being phased over five years because specialist teams and training are required to provide and support the systems.

NHS Supply Chain currently lists three MiniMed 780G combinations within the national HCL framework: 780G with Guardian 4, 780G with Simplera Sync and 780G with Abbott's Instinct sensor, all using MiniMed SmartGuard.

About the editor

Samantha is editor of Libre Life and founder of Love My Libre. She writes about diabetes medtech, CGM wear, hybrid-closed loop systems and practical real-world device use.