ABI Research said it estimates that by 2021, over nine million continuous glucose monitor (CGM) wearables will ship worldwide.

There are already half a billion people on the planet that suffer from diabetes, and wearable CGMs may really help people cope with the condition.

Ryan Harbison, a research analyst at ABI Research, said: “Wearable device manufacturers have integrated the new, non invasive CHMs and insulin pumps with cloud services, analytic tools, and predictive software to provide new types of pattern analysis in near real time.”

The diabetic testing market will be worth $17 billion in 2021, a rise from $12 billion this year. And Harbison predicts that CGM revenues will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 41 percent over the same period.

New players will challenge giants like Bayer and Johnson & Johnson, he added.

“Medtronic has a substantial advantage with its MiniMed CGM system, Abbott focuses on the European market, and Dexcom innovates on existing CGM devices to create all-in-one experiences through mobile integrations.Glucose meter manufacturers, such as Johnson & Johnson and Roche Diagnostics, can further disrupt this market by developing new form factors, such as contact lenses and skin patches, to create less invasive and more accurate monitoring devices.”