CNBC is reporting that tech giant Apple has hired a small team of biomedical engineers and put them to work in a “nondescript office in Palo Alto”, as part of a super secret initiative, initially envisioned by the late Apple co-founder Steve Job.

The plan is to develop sensors that can continuously monitor blood sugar levels to better treat diabetes.

According to CNBC:

Such a breakthrough would be a “holy grail” for life sciences. Many life sciences companies have tried and failed, as it’s highly challenging to track glucose levels accurately without piercing the skin.

The initiative is far enough along that Apple has been conducting feasibility trials at clinical sites across the Bay Area and has hired consultants to help it figure out the regulatory pathways, the people said.

The efforts have been going on for at least five years, the people said. Jobs envisioned wearable devices, like smartwatches, being used to monitor important vitals, such as oxygen levels, heart rate and blood glucose. In 2010, Apple quietly acquired a company called Cor, after then-CEO Bob Messerschmidt reportedly sent Jobs a cold email on the topic of sensor technologies for health and wellness. Messerschmidt later joined the Apple Watch team.

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