MiniMed launches Instinct glucose sensor made by Abbott in Europe
MiniMed announced on Tuesday that it has started launching the Instinct continuous glucose monitor, developed in collaboration with Abbott, in the European Union. The product received CE marking shortly after the spinoff from Medtronic, and this launch will broaden the applicability of the MiniMed 780G pump to cover more than 4.5 million Abbott sensor users receiving intensive insulin therapy.
News Summary
- MiniMed has begun rolling out its continuous glucose monitor developed with Abbott across the European Union.
- The company disclosed the launch on Tuesday, having received CE marking for its Abbott-manufactured Instinct sensor shortly after spinning off from Medtronic in March.
- Launching Instinct in Europe will enable the MiniMed 780G pump to reach over 4.5 million Abbott sensor users on intensive insulin therapy, CEO Que Dallara said on this month's earnings call.
In-Depth Analysis
MiniMed benefited in the second half of its fiscal 2026 (ending April 24) from the U.S. launches of Instinct and its internal CGM Simplera. Dallara said the new sensors were "a significant driver in the second half," boosting CGM growth by 18.2% year-over-year and bringing new patients to MiniMed. According to SEC filings, domestic pump sales returned to growth after the U.S. launches of Simplera and Instinct CGMs, rising 8% year-over-year in the three months ending January 23, 2026.
The European rollout positions MiniMed to replicate that growth overseas. MiniMed will begin a phased launch of the sensor this month. Dallara said launching Instinct in Europe will allow MiniMed to market its 780G insulin pump to millions of Abbott sensor users previously out of reach.
MiniMed already offers pumps paired with its own Simplera CGM sensor. Instinct is a 15-day sensor, while Simplera lasts 7 days. Dallara noted that some users prefer Simplera because the 7-day wear aligns with their infusion set change schedule, while others favor Instinct for its longer wear time.
Dallara said Simplera's launch "involved some allocation strategy, which I think somewhat dampened the 'new pump sales' metric in Europe; we were actually managing the existing user base, trying to keep everyone satisfied." With Instinct's launch and unrestricted Simplera supply, Dallara expects the key metric of "new pump sales" in Europe to continue growing.
Overseas sales are central to MiniMed's business. In fiscal 2026, international markets accounted for 70% of MiniMed's reported net sales. International reported sales growth was 20.6%, surpassing the U.S. growth of 1.5%.
MiniMed CFO Chad Spooner said on the earnings call that Simplera has lower gross margins than Instinct, "but that doesn't mean we have a preference for one product over the other." The strategy is to let users choose the sensor that best fits their lifestyle.