Big press release news from the US today. Johnson & Johnson have decided to close down their Animas pump business!
The change is effective immediately in the US & Canada. They’ll still be supporting existing pumps under warranty but sales have been discontinued, and they’re promoting Medtronic as a migration path for their customers.
Apparently there is no change for the Australian market in that announcement. However it would seem possible that manufacturing of new stock will be wound down at some point. I’m sure we’ll hear Australian (and European) announcements soon to clarify things!
I began using an Animas 2020 pump almost 8 years ago, and later moved to an Animas Vibe which is still under warranty. I guess as my first pump they’ll always hold a special place in my memories. They’re solid little waterproof pumps, although they don’t work with closed-loop systems such as I’m currently using.
This news wasn’t entirely unexpected though, after Johnson & Johnson announced earlier this year that they were reviewing their involvement in the diabetes sector. It is sad to see the insulin pump market shrink just that little bit more, but at least there are a few new pump manufacturers beginning to emerge. However when they will become available in Australia is another question (the delay with the little Cellnovo pump being a case in point).
We continue to live in interesting times…