Job losses at Bridgend insulin pump manufacturer

Cellnovo have developed a device and patch to manage insulin and diabetes

About 70 staff have been made redundant at an insulin pump manufacturer.

Cellnovo Limited, who are based at Bridgend's Pencoed Technology Park, developed, manufactured and marketed the first mobile, all-in-one diabetes management system.

The firm appointed administrators, who found it was no longer viable for the company to manufacture its product.

The job losses come after Ford announced in February a voluntary redundancy scheme at its Bridgend site.

Seventy staff members have been made redundant with immediate effect, while 20 have been kept on to oversee the wind-down.

Further development of the insulin system impacted on sales, leading to the redundancies, administrator RSM Restructuring Advisory said.

The product is a wearable patch pump for insulin, which can be worn discreetly on the body.

It has a touch-screen handheld device which controls the pump, but also enables people to record their activity and input blood/glucose readings.

Cellnovo Limited are based at Bridgend's Pencoed Technology Park

This also connects to a medical database so patients or doctors can monitor how they are doing.

There are several hundred patients worldwide who use the product, of which about 180 are based in the UK.

Product users are advised to speak to their clinical specialists as soon as possible to arrange alternative methods of insulin delivery.