The two diabetes device companies plan to launch CGM systems beginning in 2020
MALVERN, Pa., May 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ – LifeScan, a world leader in blood glucose monitoring and maker of the iconic OneTouch® brand, today announced it has entered into an exclusive agreement with Sanvita Medical, LLC, to market continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) sensors. Sanvita Medical is a subsidiary of Nova Biomedical Corporation, a world leader focused on accuracy and dependability in advanced technology blood testing analyzers and blood glucose monitoring.
Through this collaboration, the companies plan to launch CGM systems in North America and select countries in Europe as early as mid-next year and then expand into other markets around the world. The new CGM products will integrate with LifeScan’s OneTouch Reveal® digital portfolio, including the OneTouch Reveal® app.
“There is a huge unmet need in diabetes management, and as a world leader in diabetes care we are excited to collaborate with Sanvita to help patients address that need with CGM technologies designed specifically with their concerns and goals in mind,” says Valerie Asbury, LifeScan President and CEO. “For LifeScan, this is a natural extension of our vision to create a world without limits for people with diabetes and a reinforcement of our unwavering commitment to diabetes care.”
As a global leader in blood glucose monitoring and test strip manufacturing, the addition of CGM to LifeScan’s product portfolio is part of the company’s expansion and growth plans. The company has a long history of manufacturing and marketing blood glucose monitoring systems defined by simplicity, accuracy, and trust, including blood glucose meters, testing strips, lancets, point-of-care systems, and integrated digital solutions. “Soon we will be able to offer the spectrum of diabetes monitoring solutions—from our blood glucose monitoring systems to our digital products to CGM technologies with Sanvita,” Asbury says.
I bought into the LifeScan marketing for so many years. I started with the One Touch II and progressed thru pretty much every freaking meter model they made. I then moved on thru a succession of various brands until I got a Contour Next meter which was included with my 530G. I think I’ve finally got the meter that suits me best, other than a bit of a nitpick with the screen, which is why I’ve got 3 different models of the Next.
I guess the more choices the better. I’m sure like pumps, we all have our own likes and dislikes, so this is always a good thing to have choices. For me it’s how accurate and does it work with my current system, and how much is it going to cost.
For decades I loved my One Touch meters, from one generation to the next until I started CGM and Dexcom sent a Contour Next One meter included in the initial order which I was hesitant to use but after a few tests against One Touch, the Contour meter was smaller, used less blood and was much more accurate than One Touch. Since then, never looked back. Seems to me Lifescan is trying to get into the CGM game quite late.
I buy Contour next strips online out of pocket for less money per strip than my copay if buying One Touch strips at pharmacy via insurance. For whatever reason my insurance will not cover any other brand of test strips than One Touch.
That said, if Lifescan can come out with a CGM more power to them. The world needs more CGMs! Although I’ve got a lot of respect for the CGM companies out there right now, I’d like to see more competition especially on pricing.
I would not be surprised to see a model very similar to the libre 2 with Bluetooth built in, disposable 14 day batteries, etc. I still love my eversense. Although I will admit I wouldn’t if I was stuck using their app…xdrip is way better and now I’m asking Alexa to read my glucose all the time, especially when my phone is charging
Anything LifeScan I think I will take a hard pass on unless they can prove to be better than current products being offered. Even then I would be hesitant. Given the current accuracy of competitive products LifeScan fails to impress.
They are still Johnson and Johnson, with 2 other companies, so at least they appear to be trying…I think the libre pharmacy model is the future, I’m sure they tried to tell diabetics test strips and glucometer are not pharmacy decades ago…plus the contour is closer to lab, but 90% compared to 96% closer to labs during fasting periods is close enough for me.
J&J sold LifeScan to a private-equity firm last year, so maybe they have a little more freedom to innovative. More power to them IF they can bring truly better technology to the market. I love my Dexcom, but I’m always looking for more.
Yes, it’s good to see another company enter the CGM market. From my perspective, I would hope that Lifescan will bring to market a CGM system that can earn the FDA iCGM or integrated continuous glucose monitor designation. This certification means that the CGM can be interchangeably swapped into a system of a pump and an algorithm to automate insulin dosing. The only CGM with this designation currently is the Dexcom G6.
Another frontier that Lifescan could impact is making a better system with a much lower price. Dexcom’s systems are great but the price point holds many people back from adopting it.
How do u propose that dexcom lower the price? Given the warranty that they have and expenses of shipping out the original orders, the free replacements, the support, the research, the manufacturing of the products, just what do u propose? Not to mention all the red tape expenses, liability insurance. I could go on.
I’m simply offering the perspective of a user. I am not in the CGM business and can not offer any detailed technical or business suggestions.
Dexcom realizes the market perspective of customers like me. Do a search on Dexcom Verily to see an example of a product in development forecast to be smaller and cheaper.
The first area of cost improvement for the Dexcom would be a waterproof transmitter with a rechargeable battery or an easily replaceable battery like the ambrosia blucon or the miao miao…even the eversense has a rechargeable transmitter that is guarantees to last a year…that would at least save you or the insurance companies $950 per year
This is a torture test on a 12 dollar aaa led light - it could just as easily be a tiny button cell - you can freeze it / boil it - run over it with your car and it will still light -
Batteries that cannot be replaced are the biggest rip off in medical history
What would be their motivation to do that, and wouldn’t it be larger? Personally, I HATE recharging stuff. i dread that when I get an X2 pump. My 530G goes about a month on one AA. I am against having yet one more thing to charge. It’s bad enough I have to charge the receiver every 1-2 days–it’s darn annoying.
Originally, that was the reason I bought the blucon NFC to Bluetooth reader for the libre… replaceable cr2032 batteries that lasted about 14 days. The g5 and g6 use silver oxide batteries, but they still could be replaced easily with a little engineering. The point is they won’t because Dexcom would rather charge $475 every 6 months for dexcom transmitters.
