Technology, injections & supplies

Automated insulin delivery expands to type 2 (US)

The FDA expanded Tandem’s Control-IQ+ automated insulin delivery to adults with type 2 diabetes in late February 2025.

Written by Updated 25 February 2025 3 min read
The 60-second answer

US regulators have cleared Tandem’s Control-IQ+ closed-loop system for adults with type 2 diabetes, backed by a large trial. A closed loop means an insulin pump and a glucose sensor that talk to each other and manage insulin automatically, the kind of technology many people with type 1 already use. For you as someone with type 1, nothing changes today: in the UK, closed loop is mainly a type 1 offering. This is useful context that the technology is spreading to more people, not a change to what the NHS offers right now.

  • A closed loop, also called automated insulin delivery, is a pump and sensor that adjust your background insulin between them.
  • The US regulator (the FDA) cleared Tandem’s Control-IQ+ system for adults with type 2 diabetes in late February 2025.
  • Type 2 is a different condition from type 1, and not everyone with it uses insulin; this clearance is about those who do.
  • It was backed by a large trial, which is the kind of evidence regulators look for before widening who a device is approved for.
  • This is a US regulatory step, not a UK change: it does not alter your care or what you are offered on the NHS.
What happened

What was actually cleared

In late February 2025 the FDA, the US medicines and devices regulator, widened who is allowed to use Tandem’s Control-IQ+ automated insulin delivery to include adults with type 2 diabetes. Until then this kind of closed loop, a pump that reads a sensor and adjusts insulin for you, was cleared mainly for type 1. The decision was backed by a large trial, which is the sort of evidence regulators expect before letting a device be used more widely.

Type 2 is a different condition from type 1, and many people with it do not use insulin at all. This clearance is about the group who do, and for whom the same automation might help.

Closer to home

Why it matters to a type 1 reader here

The honest headline for you is that nothing changes today. This is a US clearance, and in the UK closed loop is largely a type 1 offering. It does not touch your eligibility, your appointments or what the NHS provides now.

Why it is still worth a read is what it signals. When the same technology you rely on gets studied in a much larger group and approved for them, that tends to push the evidence and the investment forward, and widen access over time for the people who use it. It is a sign the field is broadening rather than standing still. Just keep the ceiling in view: a US clearance is not a UK rollout, and no NHS change is attached to this one.

What to notice

Worth knowing

This is a US clearance; it does not change what the NHS offers or your own care today.
In the UK, closed loop is mainly a type 1 offering at the moment.
It applies to adults with type 2 who use insulin, not to everyone with type 2.
It was backed by a large trial, which is why it counts as a meaningful step rather than a small announcement.
Any closed loop is still a hybrid system: carb counting and giving a dose for meals do not go away.
What to ask your team

Questions that make an appointment useful

"Is a closed-loop (automated insulin delivery) system something I would be eligible for here?"
"Where can I read about which automated systems the NHS offers for type 1?"
"If my closed-loop options change in the UK, how would I find out?"
Sources