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NewsFlash: Bayer Releases New Home A1c Kit; Medtronic Acquires New CGM Technology
Once again, I’ve returned from the gym to discover major diabetes announcements in my inbox. Why do these things invariably hit the wire while I’m off spinning?
Anyhoo, two pieces of big diabetes device news today:
* Bayer today has announced release of the new and improved A1c Now SelfCheck home 
testing kit, the technology it acquired from Metrika back in 2006. You get 2 test kits for $29.99, each of which provides at-home results in just 5 minutes (for order online or purchase at Walgreens).
Wouldn’t it be darn nice to be able to really and truly test your A1c at home? But if memory serves on the old Metrika product, accuracy wasn’t that great. I personally once got a 1.4 point spread between my hospital lab results and that of the in-home kit. Hopefully those days are over with this “new-generation” meter that I’m told “now requires no refrigeration.” Did we used to have to refrigerate the blood samples? I don’t recall that…
Meanwhile, the company is touting “lab-accurate results” with the revamped product. I’m excited to have a look — and test the test — at the upcoming annual ADA Conference starting this Friday in New Orleans.
* Medtronic announced today that it has acquired a brand new form of continuous glucose monitoring technology developed by a Denmark-based company called PreciSense A/S.
The “potentially disruptive technology” is not described in the announcement, but the 
company’s website indicates they’re developing “a microcapsule placement unit and a light detecting non-invasive reader unit. The microcapsule placement unit poses the right dose of glucose-responding microcapsules in the upper layer of the skin, painlessly.” That sure sounds good!
“This strategic acquisition is an effort to expand Medtronic’s already robust continuous glucose monitoring pipeline, and to develop a new CGM platform to aid development of our ‘closed-loop’ system,” according to Medtronic Diabetes business unit president & senior vice president Chris O’Connell.
Medtronic obviously has a leg-up in the CGM business since it has the only system that integrates a CGM with an insulin pump: its MiniMed Paradigm® REAL-Time product. Godspeed to them in developing a full “closed-loop system” (i.e. artificial pancreas) that actually works!
Not to be a party pooper, but I had to smile when I read the analysis of Medtronic’s move sent out today by David Kliff of Diabetic Investor: “We always get a little leery when we see the words non-invasive and blood glucose monitoring used in the same sentence. This is a well traveled road that has produced a total of zero systems.” See this morning’s post on non-invasives here at the ‘Mine as well.
Nevertheless, Medtronic is a big and powerful company, and they seem quite confident in their vision: “Using advanced mathematical algorithms, Medtronic’s closed-loop system is being designed to continuously monitor glucose levels and automatically adjust insulin delivery in patients.”
I’m equally intrigued to see / hear more at next week’s big diabetes brouhaha. Your thoughts?
Explore posts in the same categories: CGM Adventures (Continuous Glucose Monitoring), Diabetes Product Parade, Products
just wondering why they throw around the word “non-invasive” in the same sentence as “microcapsules in the upper layer of the skin.”
Posted by: Anne Findlay | June 2nd, 2009 at 3:47 pmi really dont care much for the idea of a closed-loop system, at least as it seems to be envisioned now. As long as insulin takes 1/2-1 hour to be absorbed and lasts for about 4, I think a closed loop system is going to have flaws. Also, there are so many variances in our regime that it would be impossible for any system to incorporate. The fact alone that I can eat a huge bowl of Honey-Nut Cheerios without problems, but Multi-grain Cheerios sends my sugars skyrocketing tells me that this won’t be a godsend.
I’m also not thrilled to hear the news that Mini-med is buying up potential competition — they could just as easily never let this technology see the light of day in order to remain as profitable as possible.
Posted by: chrisk | June 2nd, 2009 at 8:24 pmha ha, didn’t even notice that quote from David Kliff. Or maybe I subconsciously absorbed it!
I wonder what is in those microcapsules? And what happens to them when they stop working? I’m glad people are still trying to solve the glucose sensing technical challenge.
Posted by: Anne | June 2nd, 2009 at 9:14 pmClosed loop system is a very good system. one can also rely on the accuracy for glucose levels. the basic mechanism is actually biosensors. when Physical sciences and biological sciences shakes hands together, they create history..
Posted by: health | June 2nd, 2009 at 9:17 pmI just ordered the AC1 tester today for my Mom. I want to try it at the same time as a lab test to see how accurate it is. Thanks for the heads-up.
Posted by: vv111y | June 7th, 2009 at 12:12 pmWill
While there’s plenty of charts online for converting A1c to estimated blood glucose average, I made a free iPhone app to provide a more fine grained conversion. You can download Pocket A1c at http://sda.sh/itms-a1c (link opens iTunes store).
Posted by: John Carlin | June 9th, 2009 at 6:48 am