FDA Approves a Blood Glucose Monitoring Device that Doesn’t Require Finger Pricks

The U.S. FDA announced it approves the glucose monitoring device by Abbott Laboratories, aimed for those with diabetes, but adults only. This device allows millions of people with the condition to check their blood glucose levels without pricking their fingers. The name of the product is FreeStyle Libre Flash. What it does is reducing the need for the painful and inconvenient fingerstick testing by inserting a small sensor wire below the surface of the skin. This wire measures and monitors blood sugar levels continuously. People can wear the device on the back of the upper arm for up to ten days if they are 18 years of age or older.

About the Price

Vicky Assardo, the Abbott spokeswoman, says the launching of the product will probably be before the end of the year. So, they won’t disclose information about the price until then, even though according to Assardo it’ll be around $69, which is the price in Europe. Also, each 14-day lasting sensor will be around $69, that is, before insurance. However, the sensor will last for 10 days in the U.S. The senior vice president of Abbott’s diabetes care says the aim to make the device as affordable as possible.

Comparison with the Standard Diabetes Devices

Back in the days, people with the condition measured their blood sugar levels almost a dozen times a day by pricking their fingers. Today, Medtronic Plc’s iPRO2 Professional, DexCom Inc’s G5 Mobile, and other advanced continuous glucose monitoring devices have sensors to measure glucose readings. But, they still need fingertip testing 2-4 times daily for maximum accuracy. What’s more, most people with the condition do not measure their blood sugar as often as they should. This is due to the discomfort and pain caused by these tests. According to Abbott, most patients test blood sugar levels less than 3 times daily. On the other hand, the new Abbott’s glucose monitoring device is a long-lasting glucose sensor that doesn’t need a finger prick to provide accurate results. Watkin reported on Wednesday that Abbott plans to launch the product before the end of this year. Source Reuters | Chicago Tribune | FDA