Memorandum
Fast move following by December’s retirement from role as Medtronic Diabetes CMO; Joins Senseonics at pivotal time: 180-day US trial, closed-loop, integrating with HCP workflow
In unexpected news, Senseonics announced that it has hired the legendary Dr. Fran Kaufman to serve as Chief Medical Officer, effective immediately. The company’s last CMO, Dr. Lynne Kelley, left in May 2018 after ~2.5 years in the role.
We interviewed Dr. Kaufman back in December when she stepped down as Chief Medical Officer at Medtronic Diabetes, and she hinted that more could be coming – “I’ve never been one to sit still for too long!” Today’s news means she’ll remain heavily involved on driving CGM adoption globally – in addition to her (and her family’s) philanthropy work, which has always been incredibly inspiring.
Dr. Kaufman is a tremendous, one-of-a-kind hire for Senseonics as it scales its implantable CGM in the US (~10,000 US users expected by the end of this year) and Europe, completes 180-day studies in the US, adds a pediatric label, integrates into closed loop systems (Roche, Beta Bionics), adds non-adjunctive labeling and once-daily calibration, and shoots for 365-day wear. Dr. Kaufman brings years of expertise in all these areas, especially in running clinical trials for pumps, CGM, and AID in a wide range of ages (2+ years); working with FDA; running large, multi-center studies around the world; and integrating data and devices into HCPs’ workflow and thinking. Her in-the-trenches experience at Medtronic and decades of clinical and research experience will be a goldmine for the Senseonics team.
Dr. Kaufman’s addition to Senseonics’ C-suite is also a strong vote of confidence in the long-term implantable CGM company. We can’t wait to see what Dr. Kaufman brings to the table in her new role, how she drives and expands Senseonics’ thinking, and how this endorsement from one of the most respected endocrinologists in the world alters the dialogue around implantable CGM.
-- by Brian Levine, Adam Brown, and Kelly Close