SFC Fluidics Developing Smaller, Disposable Insulin Patch Pumps

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — SFC Fluidics Inc. recently closed a $2 million investment round that will help it commercialize a new disposable insulin patch pump for diabetics that will be smaller than any pump currently on the market.

Launched in 2003, SFC Fluidics is a medical device and diagnostics company headquartered at the Arkansas Research and Technology Park in Fayetteville. The University of Arkansas Technology Development Foundation manages the park.

The battery-powered, low-cost insulin patch pump is two inches in diameter and will offer high precision, pain-free dosing over a wide range of delivery rates, according to the company. The insulin pump pod will deliver insulin automatically and without the need for multiple daily self-injections. The pump will last for several days, after which time the entire pod can be thrown away.

SFC will initiate clinical studies in 2015, involving up to 50 patients, to demonstrate the pump’s effectiveness. The device is expected to be market ready in 2016.

“Several of our medical devices will enter the market within the next three years,” said Anthony Cruz, chief executive officer of SFC Fluidics. “Having a partner who has manufactured devices in facilities compliant with the FDA and European regulatory agencies can only enhance our success.”

Diabetes is a disease affecting roughly 26 million Americans. Roughly 4 million of these suffer from type 2, adult-onset diabetes and require additional insulin, and these patients represent SFC’s initial market.

Insulin is a hormone that helps burn sugar in the blood for fuel. Insulin-dependent diabetics must inject themselves with insulin daily in order to maintain adequate levels of the hormone. Failure to maintain proper injection schedules often results in significant, and sometimes life-threatening, medical complications including irreversible damage to the kidneys, eyes, nerves, heart and major arteries.

Studies reveal that a high percentage of diabetic patients skip insulin injections because the therapy draws too much attention to their illness. Insulin pumps can help patients who are transitioning from oral medications or injections better manage their illness, significantly reducing the long-term effects of diabetes and helping lower health-care costs. 

SFC Fluidics has unique product lines that span a diverse range of markets including point-of-care diagnostics, analytical instrumentation and drug delivery. A driving trend in biomedical and analytical instrumentation is toward higher performance, lower operating cost and portability. The company’s mission is to expand scientific knowledge, advance health care and improve overall quality of life through enabling microfluidics technologies.

SFC Fluidics is a portfolio company of VIC Technology Venture Development, a privately held firm based at the Innovation Center at the Arkansas Research and Technology Park.