Medtronic launches MiniMed 780G with Instinct sensor in the US –
Medtronic now offers three sensor options for the MiniMed 780G system in the US: Guardian 4, Simplera Sync, and Instinct
Medtronic announced this morning the full launch of the Abbott-partnered Instinct sensor in the US with the MiniMed 780G, marking the latest addition to its CGM portfolio. The company now offers three CGM choices for its MiniMed portfolio in the US: (i) Guardian 4 (seven-day wear); (ii) Simplera Sync (six-day wear with 24-hour grace period); and now (iii) Instinct (15-day wear). The addition of Instinct extends maximum CGM wear time and reduces the number of insertions required, which may improve user experience and accessibility compared to other sensors.
Pre-order rates strong during pilot launch period
Medtronic began offering Instinct for pre-order in late September, with first shipments expected in late November – roughly aligning with today’s official launch. The company reported strong interest in both Instinct and Simplera Sync sensors, with over 35,000 orders and pre-orders received by the end of 3Q25 in the US alone. Notably, around 25% of these orders came from new or existing pump users who were not previously using Medtronic CGM, and more than 9,000 healthcare providers in the US placed orders as first-time Medtronic prescribers, suggesting the sensor launch could drive broader system adoption. Today’s press release indicated that feedback from the pilot launch has been positive, and we look forward to seeing further user feedback as more patients and providers begin using the new sensor. Dr. Steve Edelman (UCSD) said in the press release that “Feedback from the early customer pilot program … matches what my colleagues and I are seeing in our clinics. I'm thrilled that the Instinct sensor is now available so that more people living with type 1 diabetes will get access to this life-changing technology improving their day-to-day experience dealing with this difficult condition.”
Despite Abbott’s medical device correction for a subset of FreeStyle Libre 3 and FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus sensors issued November 24, Medtronic has confirmed that manufacturing of Instinct has not been affected.
Launch follows over a year of development
Today’s full launch is the result of over a year of collaboration between Medtronic and Abbott, with the partnership first announced in August 2024. The sensor design was unveiled in August 2025, and progress toward launch has progressed quickly in recent months, including FDA clearance in September of Medtronic's SmartGuard algorithm as an interoperable automated glycemic controller (iAGC) and previous clearance of MiniMed 780G insulin pump as an alternate controller enabled (ACE) pump, both of which enabled integration with Instinct.
Looking ahead, today’s Instinct launch is expected to play an important role in MiniMed’s standalone portfolio after Medtronic’s Diabetes sector spins out within the next year.
Implications of Instinct for the CGM and AID markets
As of now, Instinct has launched only as part of the MiniMed 780G AID system, not as a standalone sensor. While some may believe Instinct with MiniMed 780G’s ongoing launch will not significantly alter the broader CGM competitive landscape, which saw well over $3.0 billion in global revenue in 3Q25 alone, we think it will be just another factor in CGM expansion. The “full stack” that Medtronic will have will be impressive, especially with a trusted sensor “made by Abbott”. This will contribute to ongoing strength in CGM market, particularly given recent uptake in the US T2D population, in both insulin-using and non-insulin-using segments, and especially in light of significant underpenetration (~5%) in AID system uptake. Indeed, we imagine that the new availability of Instinct and Simplera Sync can meaningfully drive adoption of Medtronic’s AID system –Medtronic most recently (3Q25) held ~31% share of the AID market, and management said that Simplera Sync availability across much of Europe had already begun driving meaningful MiniMed 780G adoption in the continent. We are aware that many Medtronic users have historically used Dexcom sensors, and we imagine that will drop, though we don’t imagine it will impact Dexcom share much, given so many other areas of strength for Dexcom, especially in this market.
Neither Abbott nor Medtronic have disclosed financial details of this partnership, though we are interested to see how Abbott will benefit from uptake of Instinct alongside its FreeStyle Libre Freestyle series.
Close Concerns’ Questions
- How will demand vary across Medtronic’s three sensor options?
- How will revenue and margins vary across the three sensor options for Medtronic?
- How much will Instinct contribute to Abbott CGM revenue?
- Does Medtronic plan to seek CE-Mark approval for Instinct, and if so, when?
- How will the daily cost of the 15-day Instinct sensor compare to the approximately seven-day Simplera Sync and Guardian 4 sensors?
- Will Medtronic/MiniMed ever launch Instinct as a standalone sensor?
- Is there any impact from Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre 3 recent manufacturing issues on Instinct?
--by Jeremy Alkire, Monica Oxenreiter, and Kelly Close