Cure Logo

February 5, 2025

Article

Breaking the Blood Barrier in Metabolic Care at CES 2025

View all topics

By Ryan Flinn

woman-glucose-monitor-image

Overview

Non-invasive devices unveiled at CES 2025 aim to transform metabolic disease prevention and management.

From Smartwatches to Breath Analyzers: Innovations Tackle Diabetes, Obesity Epidemic

A wristband analyzing sweat for glucose and a breathalyzer measuring fat metabolism signaled a shift at CES 2025: consumer technology taking aim at metabolic diseases. The timing aligns with troubling health trends - 41 percent of U.S. adults live with obesity, while global diabetes cases could reach 643 million by 2030.

The innovations arrive as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medicines like Eli Lilly's Zepbound and Novo Nordisk's Wegovy reshape metabolic treatment. Goldman Sachs projects the market for these drugs could hit $100 billion by 2030. The Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the group that hosts the CES events, threw a spotlight on the therapies in its 2025 “trends to watch” video released before the conference.

“I think GLP-1 are in a race with AI to be the innovation that has the greatest transformational effect this decade,” said Brian Comiskey, CTA’s Senior Director, Innovation and Trends, in the video. “This drug class does not just radically change and impact the consumer goods market like snack foods, but it will push other health tech companies, especially those in diabetes and sleep apnea, to position and pivot their products in a GLP-1 role.”

For people living with diabetes, several companies showcased advancements in non-invasive metabolic health monitoring devices that use AI and other sensors to help manage their health with real-time feedback.

Innovative Awards in Metabolic Health Tech

January AI's Predictive Blood Sugar App, a 2025 Honoree in Digital Health, uses generative AI to predict a person's blood sugar response without requiring a sensor. The app allows users to see the potential impact food may have on their body before consuming it, aiding in the prevention and management of conditions like prediabetes, diabetes, and obesity.

Apollon's MOGLU, also awarded in the Digital Health category, is a noninvasive continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) device. Using spectroscopy technology, it detects glucose-reactive signals on the skin. The company is planning on conducting additional clinical trials this year, with an aim for FDA approval in 2025.

Korea I.T.S. Co., Ltd.'s QuickGly, recognized in multiple categories including Digital Health, is the world's first non-invasive device that measures glycated hemoglobin in real-time. Unlike devices that measure blood sugar, glycated hemoglobin reflects the average blood sugar level during the past three months providing a more comprehensive view of long-term glucose control and helping to assess the overall effectiveness of diabetes management.

Dexcom's Stelo, another Digital Health honoree, is a small, wearable biosensor worn on the upper arm that delivers continuous glucose readings to a user's smartphone without the need for finger sticks. The device is the first over-the-counter glucose biosensor cleared by the FDA, and designed for people with type 2 diabetes not using insulin and those with prediabetes.

Abbott received an innovation award for its consumer wearable, Lingo. The system combines a biosensor that is worn on the upper arm for 14 days and continuously streams glucose data to a coaching application on a smart phone, providing personalized insights and customized coaching to help people create healthy habits, retrain their metabolism and improve their overall well-being.

Another fingerpick-free device that debuted at CES 2025 was the isaac by PreEvnt. This non-invasive blood glucose alert device uses breath analysis to monitor glucose levels. The wearable provides real-time readings through a companion app.

Momentum and Ethics for Metabolic Tech

The global metabolic health tech market is projected to grow significantly, driven by AI and wearables. However, challenges remain, including insurance coverage for "lifestyle" devices and privacy concerns related to metabolic data. With startups blending consumer-friendly wearable devices with advanced non-invasive biometric data monitoring, the line between healthcare and consumer tech is blurring, especially as non-diabetics become interested in monitoring their own glucose levels.

“Continuous glucose monitors are really helping us understand what goes on behind the scenes in our own body,” said Pamela Nisevich Bede, Medical Affairs, Lingo, Abbott, on a CES panel on tracking biometrics for better health. “Technology has it's evolved, and there's more data than ever coming our way, but what we do with this data is really, really important.”

Yet to be resolved – will these technologies be seen by clinicians and insurance companies as vital – and reimbursable – tools for patients, or will they be inaccessible for those without the means to pay for them out of pocket?

Cure, the healthcare innovation campus in New York City, has explored this issue recently, with the publication of two white papers examining GLP-1 medications from different angles: patient experiences with weight loss treatment; and specialty physicians' off-label prescribing practices. One finding from the patient survey showed 88 percent of current GLP-1 users report life-changing satisfaction, but 31 percent abandon treatment due to cost.

The Road Ahead for Metabolic Health Tech

The global metabolic health tech market shows momentum, but access to care remains challenging. The expansion of metabolic health monitoring systems for home use and innovations such as non-invasive biosensors seen at CES 2025 could lower these barriers and help millions manage conditions such as obesity and diabetes more effectively, as long as the user experience is as advanced as the technology, said Alexis Ohanian, Reddit co-founder and Founder and General Partner, Seven Seven Six, on the biometrics panel.

“AI is ostensibly a world changing technology, but no one is going to adapt a product, no one is going to make a major lifestyle change, on just the technology,” Ohanian said. “Because it comes down to user experience – that it is easy to use, is delightful to use, and helps you actually improve the outcomes.”

More Stories