In my jet lagged stupor (HI! I’m back!) I reached for my phone in the middle of the night, and as I scrolled through my social media feeds, I was promptly alerted to the fact that Animas Corporation, a Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Care company, was out of business. Effective immediately, Animas pumps would no longer be supplied in the US or Canada

My initial thought: ‘No surprises here.’

My second thought: ‘What a mess.’

(My third thought: ‘Jet lag sucks.’)

So, what does this mean for Australia? Australian Medical and Scientific Limited (AMSL), the Australian distributors of the Animas pump, have today stated that the overnight announcement does not affect Australia. Supply of Animas pumps, pump consumables and technical support will continue.

So, business as usual?

Well yes. It is. And that’s great for people who are using Animas here in Australia. Unlike our friends in the US, we are not suddenly being forced to make an urgent decision about which pump will be changing to.

But can we say business as usual when we know not that there will be no upgraded, updated or new technology from Animas in the future? I don’t really think so. One of the important factors of diabetes tech is the element of ‘what’s next?’ There is no ‘what’s next?’ from this company.

The pump market seems to keep getting smaller. Deltec Cozmo and now Animas are all out of the game in Australia leaving us with less and less choice. (Cellnovo has delayed their 1 October launch for another month.)

My fear is that we will end up with no choice at all. I am very much turned to the US right now with my eyes are firmly planted on Bigfoot Biomedical and Beta Bionics as I watch the developments of their automated delivery device systems. And, of course, I have particular interest in how they are going to supply markets outside the US. Are they even going to supply markets like Australia?

This is not a good day for people with diabetes.

Happier days with my Animas Vibe pump.