Glucose Monitoring for Diabetics: Abbott launches FreeStyle Libre System in India

The FreeStyle Libre sensor measures glucose every minute in interstitial fluid through a small (5.5mm long) filament that is inserted just under the skin and held in place with a small adhesive pad.

A quick scan of the sensor with a reader provides a real-time glucose reading on demand and a complete picture of a person's glucose levels, without the need of painful, routine fingersticks or daily calibration, enabling meaningful lifestyle and therapy interventions.

FreeStyle Libre is designed for users to be able to check their glucose readings much more simply and frequently, and data show that higher scanning frequency of the technology has been shown to significantly improve time in optimal glucose range.

"Abbott's revolutionary technology has changed the way millions of people manage diabetes globally and we are excited to bring this life changing technology to India," said Kalyan Sattaru, general manager of the diabetes care business at Abbott.

India has the second largest diabetes population in the world, estimated to cross 100 million in the next decade*. Healthcare providers are continuously upgrading guidelines of care and nutrition advice to ensure the condition is managed to avoid diabetes-related complications. Multiple international and national professional medical bodies have recommended CGM use for people with diabetes to target improved clinical outcomes including Indian professional bodies such as Diabetes India and The Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India (RSSDI).

RSSDI in its published recommendations4 in 2017 quotes that technology in diabetes management may be used in patients for better outcomes and to minimize complications. Evidence suggests that continuous glucose monitoring system can influence patients for diabetes self-care practices, which in turn results in glycemic control enhancement over a wide range of baseline therapies.

Dr Banshi Saboo, President, and lead member of the CGM panel at RSSDI said, "Monitoring glucose levels is a pre-requisite to ensure optimum glycaemic control. While glucometers are handy portable devices that help detect the single point-in-time capillary glucose, CGM devices provide complete visibility of the 24x7 glycaemic profile of the patient with diabetes up to 14 days. This technology helps fulfil an unmet need in diabetes helping patients make better choices in diet and exercise. In India, food has a social, cultural and emotional connect which leads to unrestricted diet despite doctor recommendations. While medication can help, people with diabetes must have a disciplined approach to managing the condition. In the current COVID environment, with reduced access to doctors and specialists, CGM empowers patients with actionable insights at hand that helps in remotely managing their glucose levels."

Clinical trials and real-world data show that users of the FreeStyle Libre system have improved glucose control3, decreased time in hyperglycemia5 and hypoglycemia6 as well as reduced hospitalizations7, HbA1C8 levels (average glucose levels over three months), and improved quality of life. Greater time in range (TIR) has been linked to more stable glucose control, which could lead to fewer complications.