A US appeals court has overturned a $59.4 million judgment awarded to Insulet in its dispute with EOFlow, adding another twist to one of diabetes technology's most closely watched legal battles.
Just when it appeared Insulet had secured another major victory against EOFlow, the legal battle between the two patch pump manufacturers has taken an unexpected turn.
A US appeals court has overturned a $59.4 million judgment previously awarded to the Omnipod maker after ruling that key trade secret claims were filed too late. The decision represents a significant setback for Insulet in the United States, but it does not bring the wider dispute to an end.
Insulet continues to hold important patent victories in Europe, while EOFlow has now secured a major win in the US. As a result, the rivalry between Omnipod and EOFlow's EOPatch remains far from settled.
A major reversal in the United States
The dispute centres on claims by Insulet that confidential information and trade secrets connected to the development of Omnipod were improperly used by EOFlow during the creation of its EOPatch insulin pump.
The case became one of the most significant legal battles in diabetes technology after a Massachusetts jury sided with Insulet in late 2024 and awarded damages of more than $450 million. Although that figure was later reduced to $59.4 million by the court, it still represented a substantial victory for the company and appeared to strengthen Insulet's position.
However, the US Court of Appeals has now overturned the remaining award entirely. The court concluded that Insulet should have been aware of the alleged trade secret misuse more than three years before filing the lawsuit and had therefore missed the legal deadline required to pursue those claims.
For EOFlow, the ruling removes a major financial threat that had been hanging over the company for more than a year. It also marks one of the most significant legal victories the South Korean manufacturer has achieved since the dispute began.
The decision comes as competition in patch pumps is increasing, with manufacturers racing to develop the next generation of tubeless insulin delivery systems.
A growing battle in patch pumps
EOFlow is not a household name in the way Omnipod is, particularly among many pump users in the UK.
However, the South Korean company has attracted growing attention because its EOPatch system is one of a relatively small number of tubeless insulin pumps attempting to challenge Omnipod's position in the market.
The patch pump sector is becoming increasingly important as more insulin delivery systems move towards hybrid-closed loop (HCL) technology. Manufacturers are investing heavily in smaller devices, improved user experiences and tighter integration with CGM systems.
Omnipod remains the market leader in tubeless insulin pumps and continues to expand internationally. At the same time, several companies are developing new patch pump systems and next-generation insulin delivery technologies aimed at giving people with diabetes more choice.
Earlier this year, Beta Bionics outlined plans for its Mint patch pump, highlighting growing interest in the sector and the belief that demand for tubeless insulin delivery systems will continue to increase.
That means the dispute between Insulet and EOFlow extends beyond legal filings and damages awards. The outcome could influence competition in one of diabetes technology's fastest-growing sectors, where manufacturers are competing to shape the next generation of insulin delivery systems.
Greater competition can help drive innovation, improve product features and expand choice. Manufacturers, however, argue that strong intellectual property protection is essential to support the investment needed to develop new technologies. The balance between those two objectives sits at the centre of many disputes across the medical technology industry.
Insulet still holds important wins in Europe
The latest ruling does not erase Insulet's broader legal successes.
Over the past year, courts in Europe have repeatedly ruled in favour of the Omnipod maker in patent disputes involving EOFlow's EOPatch system. Several decisions have resulted in injunctions and other measures that have created challenges for EOFlow's expansion plans in parts of Europe.
Those rulings mean that while EOFlow has removed a significant financial liability in the United States, the company continues to face legal hurdles elsewhere. Insulet, meanwhile, remains in a strong position in several of the European cases that have emerged from the wider dispute.
The result is a legal picture that is becoming increasingly complex. EOFlow has secured an important victory in the United States by overturning the financial award, while Insulet continues to hold significant patent-related wins elsewhere. Neither side can yet claim overall victory, and both companies remain engaged in legal battles that could influence the future direction of the patch pump market.
What happens next?
The latest ruling is unlikely to be the final chapter in the dispute.
The battle between Insulet and EOFlow has already stretched across multiple countries, involved hundreds of millions of dollars in claimed damages and become one of the most closely watched legal fights in diabetes technology. As the patch pump market continues to grow, both companies have strong commercial reasons to defend their positions.
For now, EOFlow has removed a major financial liability and gained an important legal win in the United States. Insulet, however, continues to hold valuable patent victories elsewhere and remains one of the most influential companies in the insulin pump market.
Legal battles rarely generate excitement among people with diabetes. Yet this one sits at the intersection of innovation, competition and the future direction of insulin pump technology.
The latest ruling may have removed a major financial threat facing EOFlow, but it has not answered the bigger question of what the patch pump market will look like five years from now. With Omnipod continuing to expand, EOPatch still fighting for market access and new entrants preparing their own systems, that question remains very much open.
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