Canada Approves Abbott’s Glucose Sensor

System offers freedom from finger sticking for diabetic community

Abbott has gained the Health Canada license for its FreeStyle® Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring System, a revolutionary new glucose sensing technology for Canadian adults with diabetes.

Background

The first-of-its-kind system eliminates the need for routine finger sticks, requires no finger stick calibration, and reads glucose levels through a sensor that can be worn on the back of the upper arm for up to 14 days.

Traditional glucose monitoring sees people with diabetes needing to finger stick  a number of times throughout the day to test their glucose levels. In contrast, Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre system is more convenient, less painful alternative to get a glucose reading.  The disposable sensor is worn on the back of the upper arm. The system measures glucose every minute in interstitial fluid through a small filament that is inserted just under the skin and held in place with a small adhesive pad. The sensor can read glucose levels through clothing, making testing more convenient and discreet. Each scan displays a real-time glucose result, an eight-hour historical trend and the direction the glucose is heading. The reader holds up to 90 days of data, providing a historical snapshot of glucose levels over time.

The data from the FreeStyle Libre system provides an Ambulatory Glucose Profile (AGP), a visual snapshot of a person’s glucose fluctuations during a typical day, which can reveal hypoglycemic (low glucose levels, defined as <70 mg/dL6) and hyperglycemic trends intended to help facilitate better diabetes management. By automatically measuring, capturing and storing glucose level data continuously, patients and their doctors can see patterns over time and make adjustments to lifestyle, diet or treatment.

Already used by over 300,000 people around the world, the FreeStyle Libre system is clinically proven to be accurate and consistent over a 14-day period, without the need for finger stick calibration.

Patient comments

“The first word that came to mind when I learned about FreeStyle Libre was ‘freedom’,” said Maria Miclea, who has been managing her Type 1 diabetes for eight years. “Freedom from the pain of routine testing and from social awkwardness.  Also, peace of mind, knowing that I can quickly and easily scan my glucose levels – whenever and wherever I want – to help better manage my diabetes.”

Physician comments

“Patient glucose monitoring is an essential component of achieving effective diabetes control particularly for patients being treated with insulin,” said Bernard Zinman, M.D., director of the Leadership Sinai Centre for Diabetes and senior investigator at the hospital’s Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute. “The ability for patients to easily obtain reliable and detailed self-glucose measurements, including current level and trend direction of glucose without routine finger sticks, provides the person with diabetes valuable insights into their care.”

Company comments

“At Abbott, our goal is to help people achieve their best health,” said Badia Boudaiffa, general manager, Diabetes Care, Abbott in Canada. “Bringing FreeStyle Libre to the three million people living with diabetes9 across Canada is a major milestone. This technology not only transforms how people have been testing their glucose levels for decades, it also may support improved overall diabetes management.”

Source: Abbott

 

published: June 30, 2017 in: Abbott, Approval/Clearance, Monitoring

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