Abbott Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert B. Ford delivers the keynote address at CES 2022 at the Venetian Las Vegas on January 6, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Abbott Laboratories announced on monday Approval The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted approval for two new continuous glucose monitoring systems, including one for use in people without diabetes. Both are available over-the-counter without a prescription.
A continuous glucose monitor (CGM) is a small sensor that pierces the skin and tracks a person’s blood sugar levels instantly. It wirelessly transmits this data to a smartphone. CGM is primarily used by diabetics as the technology can help alert the user, their family and doctors to emergencies.
Abbott said the market opportunity could be significant for Abbott, whose existing CGMs are used by about 6 million patients in 60 countries. Abbott said some 38.4 million people in the United States alone have diabetes, and offering consumer CGM brings the technology to a whole new group of people.
One of Abbott’s new systems, Libre Rio, is suitable for people with type 2 diabetes who don’t take insulin. According to reports, its second system, Lingo, is designed for consumers trying to improve their health. company.
Lingo users will wear a biosensor on their upper arm for 14 days at a time, and they can track their blood sugar data in a coaching app on their phone, Abbott said. Participants can get customized coaching based on their data, which can help them “retrain their metabolism and improve their overall health,” the company said.
Several companies, including Signos, use continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) to help people lose weight and improve metabolic health. Typically, users need a valid CGM prescription to participate in these programs, so Abbott’s new over-the-counter drug may be more accessible to some consumers.
Libre Rio is Abbott’s first over-the-counter medicine for people with diabetes to launch in the U.S., although other CGMs in its portfolio have been available without a prescription in other countries over the past decade. Libre Rio is designed for people with type 2 diabetes who typically manage their diabetes through lifestyle changes, the company said.
Abbott Competitors DexconThe company also sells CGM systems, and its first over-the-counter CGM received FDA approval in March.
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