The FreeStyle Libre blood glucose monitoring system has been approved in Australia.
+ Technology/Innovation
Jamie Barrand | Feb 20, 2016

FreeStyle Libre blood glucose monitoring system approved in Australia

Australians living with types 2 and 3 diabetes have a new choice for blood glucose monitoring with the Therapeutic Goods Administration's (TGA) approval of the FreeStyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring System, a product of American pharmaceutical company Abbott.

The system tests glucose levels with a sensor that can be worn on the back of the upper arm, with no need to prick the finger. The monitor can be worn for up to two weeks. Glucose levels are tested every minute by interstitial fluid that flows through a five-millimeter long bag attached to a filament that is put under the skin and secured with an adhesive pad.

Glucose levels are displayed when a handheld reader is scanned over the sensor; the system stores up to 90 days worth of data.

"We know through our research that pain, inconvenience and indiscretion of finger pricking were the key reasons people with diabetes aren't managing their diabetes as well as they should," Jared Watkin, senior vice president of diabetes care for Abbott, said. "Addressing these concerns has guided the development of FreeStyle Libre -- a transformational product designed to not only remove the pain of routine finger pricking, but also seamlessly integrate into daily lives -- empowering people with diabetes to make better-informed treatment decisions and live their best lives through better health."

Diabetes affects 415 million people worldwide.

"People with diabetes find finger pricking to be painful and inconvenient and, in turn, they often test glucose levels less frequently, which can then lead to suboptimal diabetes management," Stephen Twigg, head of the department of endocrinology at RPA Hospital in Sydney, Australia, said. "The FreeStyle Libre System will significantly advance the field of glucose monitoring, by offering not only a convenient and painless way to acquire more frequent glucose readings, but also in enabling detailed actionable glucose profiles, to help both health care professionals and their patients to better manage diabetes and people to live healthier lives."

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