Medtronic projects big jump in diabetes products, services it offers in China

US medical device maker Medtronic expects sales from China to constitute as much as 20 percent of its global income in the diabetes sector as it offers more localized products and service in the country.

The US company aims to step up efforts in the country with the world's biggest diabetes epidemic, said Hooman Hakami, group president of the Medtronic Diabetes Group.

Currently, China contributes only about 2.5 percent of Medtronic's diabetes group income, and Hakami said it will continue to invest in China to lift its market share and raise patient and medical professionals' awareness.

"We aim to expand our research and development capabilities and strengthen partnership with government authorities to offer Chinese patients cutting-edge products at more accessible prices," Hakami, who is also executive vice president at Medtronic, said in an interview with Shanghai Daily.

The products, which include a device that offers real-time monitoring of glucose levels and personalized insulin delivery, is more costly at the initial stage. There are now only slightly more than 25,000 individual users in China.

Hakami said the company is "very likely" to combine local patient demand and its technical expertise in the diabetes sector to offer "simplified" or "entry-level" versions of the insulin pump to boost sales and consolidate its market position.