It might be a tad overdramatic to say that this is the moment we’ve all been waiting for, but the news coming out of Sanofi-aventis today is definitely exciting. After five long months since its FDA approval in December, the company has finally announced that their new iBGStar, the FIRST and only meter to work in conjunction with the iPhone and iPod touch, has come to market and is available for purchase.
Say it with me: Finally!
Yesterday, Sanofi flew in a small group of bloggers and analysts to its headquarters in New Jersey to let us test the iBGStar, answer our questions about this new device, and share a bit about what motivated Sanofi — which up until now has been mostly famous for their diabetes drug, Lantus, not medical devices — to jump into this side of the diabetes business. The bloggers included familiar DOC faces like Kerri Sparling, Kim Vlasnik, Leighann Calentine, Riva Greenberg, and Emily Coles, plus analyst David Kliff of Diabetic Investor, and Kelly Close and Adam Brown from Close Concerns. Plus we had one outsider: Brian Dolan of Mobile Health News.
To be clear, this meeting was a product launch. Unlike the pharma social media Summits we’ve attended recently, this was not a pow-wow about how to work better with diabetes bloggers, and the focus of the meeting was not on what we think of the iBGStar — although I guess it was a given that this vocal group would share our opinions!
Shawna Gvazdauskas, Vice President, Head of Devices at Sanofi’s U.S. Diabetes division, began by outlining the various avenues where Sanofi is building out its diabetes business. She was talking our talk when she said, “Our commitment as a company is to help people live better with innovative and integrated solutions.” Shawna also explained that their products are designed “not only to help people manage their diabetes better, but to improve their overall experience.”
Kelly Close, a type 1 PWD who has spent the last 10 years analyzing the diabetes industry, followed up by saying, “I think there are so many diabetes devices and drugs that are good for me, but they don’t necessarily improve my experience.” This is of course exactly what we set out to accomplish with our DiabetesMine Design Challenge, and this year’s Patient Voices Contest, and it’s great to see a company taking this message to heart!
Shawna also explained that Sanofi recognizes that PWDs are no longer just patients, but they are consumers, which she says is an important distinction.
“It’s not just about getting a prescription and getting it filled in a passive manner,” Shawna said. “(PWDs) now ask, ‘Do I want to go on a pump or not? Do I want a pump with tubing or not? Do I want to go on injections? What would I prefer?”
People have power?! Amen to that!
The second part of Sanofi’s presentation was a demo of the iBGStar by Lisa Aurand, an endocrinologist and Medical Director for the Diabetes division. Unfortunately, she did the demo from the front of the room using just her own iPhone, which was of course hard to see from a distance. It would have been better with a slide show of images, I thought…
That is, until they brought out iBGStar glucose meters for each attendee! Those who hadn’t downloaded the iBGStar app quickly hit the iTunes Store and glucose readings started flying! Not much about the meter has changed since last fall, when Amy gave us a sneak peek of her iBGStar unit, so if you’re curious about the nuts and bolts of the meter, you can check out her review.
The iBGStar kit
Personally, I think this little meter is a substantial improvement in the world of glucose meters. As a long-time Apple fangirl, I’m thrilled that my meter talks to my phone without having to manually plug in all my readings (oh how I loathe logging), and the interface of the iBGStar app is clean and easy-to-read. There will also be a black case available to hold both the iPhone and the meter, which will be available through Sanofi once you purchase your iBGStar.
Brian Dolan, editor of Mobile Health News, said the iPhone app was “beautifully designed” and he believed the relationship between Sanofi and Apple was “very encouraging” for the development of future health apps with other device companies.
Shawna stated that Apple is very interested in healthcare as a new area of innovation and development. Apple recently held a series of meetings called “Enterprise Health,” which Shawna explained where wildly successful. She shared that 75% of healthcare professionals have an iDevice of some kind, so that bodes well for the development of even more apps and devices that will sync with our everyday consumer technology.
After our hands-on playtime, we had a chance to ask Sanofi some specific questions about the iBGStar and what was next on their plate.
As expected, everyone’s #1 question was: how much is this thing gonna cost?
Kind of a lot for a glucose meter, actually. But hey, the full phone integration really is revolutionary!
Right now, the iBGStar is available for over-the-counter purchase at Walgreens, via DiabetesCareServices, and… at Apple retail stores! Yep, Apple will have iBGStars available for purchase at all of their retail outlets and on the Apple website. But there’s a catch. Because Apple will not engage in insurance reimbursements (since they’re not a pharmacy – right!), they are selling the iBGStar starter kit for $99.95, BUT they will not be selling individual boxes of the iBGStar test strips. In their starter kit, you’ll get an iBG meter, the charger (the iBGStar needs to be regularly juiced up), a lancing device, and a vial of 50 test strips. This is to give folks the opportunity to use the meter before visiting a pharmacy, which is the only place you can buy iBGStar test strips.
On the other hand, Walgreens and DiabetesCareServices will retail the starter kit for just $75.95, because their starter kits only come with a vial of 10 test strips. You can then purchase additional strips directly from these providers.
Initially, Walgreens and DCS will be the main distributors of the iBGStar. If you belong to another pharmacy, you can also purchase the meter through McKesson, a warehouse distributor which most pharmacies work with. Later this year, the iBGStar will be available at a wider range of pharmacies.
Once you’ve got your meter, test strips will retail for $64.95 for 50 strips, which is on par with Lifescan, Roche and Abbott meters. Sanofi will have Patient Assistance Cards through their Star Savings program (though sadly our friends using Medicare or who live in MA aren’t qualified – bummer!). The Star Savings program allows folks to get a monthly supply of iBGStar test strips for a $20 a month co-pay. That’s a pretty sweet deal. The cards will be good until at least the end of 2013, and possibly beyond; Sanofi is still working with insurance companies to figure out coverage, so check with your insurance plan to see if the iBGStar strips are covered. However, cash consumers are still eligible to use the Star Saving program.
Although Sanofi didn’t get into details about upcoming projects, a few things on the to-do list include improving the iBGStar lancing device (which is hardly discreet or innovative) and integrating Sanofi’s GoMeal app (which has already been downloaded over 400,000 times!) with the iBGStar app.
If you’re wondering how Sanofi will handle Apple’s multiple tech upgrades — a great question posed by David Kliff of Diabetic Investor — the company says they’re “staying in touch” to make any necessary upgrades if Apple’s technology should change. Shawna explained that they’re in constant contact with the FDA, and she’s hopeful that the next round of approvals at the FDA will be much faster. Because there is now a predicate device, an upgraded version of the iBGStar will hopefully not require a 510(K) application and the same rigamarole of scrutiny that new devices face.
Out of all the info, stats and Sanofi history we were given, the one phrase that stood out to me the most was when Shawna said, “If we don’t innovate, we don’t belong in this space.” This (!) is what I hope diabetes device and pharmaceutical companies are picking up on. Here at the ‘Mine, we have spent five years shouting from the rooftops about how important innovative design is, and it is SO encouraging to hear it repeated back to us, without any prompting.
But it doesn’t surprise us that Sanofi has placed such importance on innovation. When knew this well because they are, after all, our premiere sponsor of the 2012 DiabetesMine Innovation Summit and this year’s new Patient Voices Contest. We’re very excited to be awarding iBGStar meters to the 10 winners of the Patient Voices Contest!
If you’re passionate about diabetes design innovation and the iBGStar “speaks to you,” then head on over to the Patient Voices Contest page to find out how you can enter to win a new iBGStar, plus a scholarship to our Innovation Summit this November, where you can share your own thoughts face-to-face with execs from Sanofi and other leading diabetes companies.
The group at Sanofi, with Shawna Gvazdauskas and Laura Kolodjeski, Sr. Manager, Patient Solutions
This is certainly of great interest to Type 1s. But how many Type 1s know of a way of using the blood test result to give them immediate assistance on managing their condition?
The blood sugar test result is indeed valuable. But it is more than a diagnostic aid to your consultant! It can be used by a diabetic to help through the day in calculating what the blood sugar will become. You enter brief details of each insulin injection into a computer programme. You also enter the carbs and time of each meal. If you then enter the result of a blood sugar test, the programme tells you whether your blood sugar will end up at the right level when all the food and insulin that you’ve taken have done their work. And it tells you if you need more food, or insulin, and if so how much, you still need to take to get your blood sugar back on track. The programme is available now at low cost. And it works. Have a look at http://www.pathfinderweb.talktalk.net for details. This software takes diabetes blood sugar control to the next level!!!
I have one – bought it this week along with 3 month supply of strips and I test 10x/day. VERY DISAPPOINTED. Apple Store said I could buy an iPhone case for the iBGStar meter when it’s attached from Canada. They don’t ship to the US and the customer service person I talked to via phone had no information whatever. I’m taking it back. I wanted it only with a case. Sanofi should not have launched this product until they could deliver the iPHONE CASE!!!!
I first read about the iBG Star more than a year ago, and was SO excited, since I own an iPhone. Just my luck, though, that I just last week determined that my Freestyle Lite meter usually reads my BGs about 20% lower than the new One Touch Verio IQ meter does. I therefore asked my endo. to write me scripts for a spare One Touch Verio IQ meter and strips (she had given me a sample one with 10 strips, which is how I had determined the disparity in readings with my Freestyle Lite.)
I wonder how the iBG Star fares, in terms of its accuracy. DiaTribe gave the One Touch Verio IQ accolades, which is why I tried it out. Shucks! Bad timing! Wish I could have tried the iBG Star against the Freestyle Lite!
According to Sanofi, the iBGStar meets the FDA requirements on accuracy and is on par with the other “big name” glucose meters (Lifescan, Roche, Abbott, etc.). They said they were not making any claims about accuracy superiority.
so the FDA allows for +-20… iOS or not, if someone just produced a test strip that had some decent accuracy, I would buy that brand.
Great, I now have an 100$ glucose monitor that saves me from typing in 2 numbers (maybe 3 sometimes).
…
Did you know that I can buy an adapter that take’s apple’s silly proprietary connector and plug it into a USB adapter? Why exactly did you just spend all this R&D building something that is basically a Bayer Pharm USB glucose monitor?
Does anyone at this startup have Diabetes? Do they know how few insurance plans give you any freedom in choosing your brand of test strips?
What really kills me is with all this funding, you missed the absolute golden goose of diabetic testing.
I have been waiting anxiously for this meter but at this time, with the limited availability, I just cannot afford one. My insurance gives me 10 strips a day with no copay, so it’s not so much the cost of the meter but the strips. With free strips for so many other meters, it’s just not beneficial to spend this kind of money. My plan does not allow me to purchase strips at Walgreens. Hopefully Sanofi will make it more available from different mail order sources in time.
Judi: You can purchase test strips via your regular pharmacy, as long as your pharmacy orders them through McKesson, a warehouse distributor.
But to get insurance coverage I must buy from a lst of mal order suppliers. I cannot buy from any local pharmacies and get any kind of reimbursement. At 10 tests a day, this would add up fast. Especially when I have full coverage of many brands. Hopefully, as time goes on, the supply network will broaden and make it easier for more with coverage to get this meter. It sounds great.
Is there a case that we can order so it will stay attached to the phone and we won’t have to worry about it breaking off with daily use?
I assume it would need to be a hard shell case.
Betty: Yes, there is a black case available that will encompass both the meter and the iPhone. It’s available through Sanofi when you register your meter.
If anyone knows how to get a case in the US, please share the info. I even tried calling Canada. They won’t ship down here!
I look at this more as a proof of concept rather than a day to day, primary meter. When you look at the kit and what it can do, what true advantage does it offer? Yes its small but when you add in the strips, and lancing device the size of the meter becomes less important. You need an iPhone to use it which immediately eliminates a large % of the potential users. It’s all well and good to say 75% of healthcare professionals have an I something but they aren’t the target users. The biggest thing for me though is it really doesn’t offer anything meaningful. Again, its great to say that you can log your readings to your phone but the first thing that came to my mind was “whats the point?” Every meter will log results, most will let you download them into software to view trends, graphs and the like and some will also let you do that right on the meter.
I can’t help feeling that its one of those “well Apple had a hand in it, it works with an iPhone so it must be innovative and awesome” things. Kind of a whole lot of sparkle and not much substance. It’s awesome as a launching pad for future, useful developments but is it really as great a consumer product as it’s being made out to be?
Thanks for the exciting news about this product launch. With so many diabetics in America, this will be a very useful product to have available. Anything that can make the process quicker and easier for diabetics to measure their glucose levels and manage their health is definitely a good thing.
I just picked one up and the first thing I am impressed with is the size. This thing is really small and light.
Keep in mind that this meter does not need to be plugged into your iPhone or iPod to work, therefore, it’s by far the smallest BS meter I’ve ever seen or used. Once I plugged it back into my iPhone the app automatically recognizes the meter and syncs any readings that you took.
So far I’m very impressed. Any questions, please let me know.
@Duncan – your comments are valid. You are correct, it is just another BS meter, however, the integration on the iPhone and the size of the thing are definitely steps ahead.
This technology improvement is a step in the right direction. I’m looking forward to well designed device that can integrate *all* the data that tracks my condition. In addition to the BG data that this device can track, my ideal device would also accept data from my CGM and pump as well.
The one overall weakness of my ideal system as well as the iBGstar is an interested doctor capable of spending more than 15 minutes every three months to actually analyze this mountain of data and then make informed judgments about insulin therapy. I don’t think our current health system is interested in more data. I know there a exceptions but it’s not been my experience.
I applaud this technical effort but fear it’s only one small fragment of the complete answer.
Looking at the Star program it seems that the strips have to be covered by your insurance and they just make sure your copay is not over $20 per month. Do they have a list of insurance co’s that have approved coverage? My DD would love this and so would I for tracking her #s but if it isn’t covered by our insurance, we will have to wait until it is.
Jill: Sorry that section wasn’t clear! Reps from Sanofi say to call to your own insurance company to see what coverage they will give you. Some insurances will have the strips at different tiers, so the point with the Savings card is that no matter what tier the strips are at. But cash eligible consumers can also use the card, although there are some restrictions for certain people.
I’m unimpressed. It’s a small convenience, sure, but I want to see innovation and r&d budgets being spent on more substantial improvements. I want a cure, and in the meantime, an artificial pancreas.
It’s dissapointing to see so much excitement over such a small achievement. Where’s the ambition?
I for one would love to see your video entry for our Patient Voices Contest ow.ly/aFcFW — tell us exactly what kind of “substantial improvements” you’d like to see R&D budgets being spent on!
@Ollie – I hear you. As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t hesitate to say that all diabetics hear you. On a macro level we all want a cure and an AP in the meantime.
However, on a more micro level, your disappointment is a bit unfair. This is a BG meter. In fact, it’s the smallest, lightest meter I’ve ever seen or used. When it comes to BG meters, it is most definitely a step forward just based on this. The iPhone/iPod integration will be useful to me as well.
I wear a CGM and still stick my fingers 10-15 times a day (if not more). I’m a data hog when it comes to my numbers and tweaking my bolus and basal rates. I understand not everyone is like this, but for me, the iBG Star is exciting.
@Dox – if you don’t buy it, nobody will be “stealing” your money.
We are progressing forward, technology is amazing, and we’ve come a long way just in the past 20 years when it comes to diabetes care. It’s not a sprint (although we’d all like it to be), it’s a marathon and one day we’ll get there.
Good luck and stay healthy.
Another way to steal our money…Give us a cure!
@Ollie – I hear you. As a matter of fact, I think all diabetics hear you . . . On the cure and artificial pancreas part. We all want that, from a big picture point of view.
However, you being unimpressed and disappointed is a bit unfair when it comes to this product. From a day to day point of view, this is a blood sugar meter and a step forward in diabetes management, in my opinion. As mentioned in my previous post, this is by far the smallest and lightest meter I have ever seen or used. That alone is a step forward and in the right direction when it comes to day to day diabetes management. The iPhone integration is useful for me as well.
I understand that some may not be so excited about this product, but that doesn’t mean that others can’t be or more importantly, that we don’t want a cure or an AP.
In the meantime, you can’t measure a BS meter vs. the holy grail (a cure or even an AP), you need to measure it vs. other meters. I think when looked at in this context, this is an exciting product for diabetics.
@Dox
Don’t buy it and nobody will be “stealing” your money.
Why even comment?
hmmmmm…as a dedicated Apple user, I want to be more excited about this than I am. I think maybe it’s that I’m also a Paradigm pumper, and while the thought of a small meter integrating seamlessly with a logging program on my iPhone is appealing, I can’t imagine giving up the convenience of a meter that wirelessly syncs with my pump itself.
Is there a way to remove readings that are in error? Once in a while my meter may say I am at 170, when 92 would be accurate. I retest when a reading is not reasonable, and manually enter the readings in my pump. I don’t want to edit valid data, but I don’t want to graph points that are in error either.
-Lloyd
Awesome! I get so tired of carrying extra supplies in my back jersey pocket on the bike, and I bring my phone anyway! Does the app have the ability to email out results, say to a healthcare provider?
Sanofi has been supporting Team Type 1 since day 1 and I am sincerely grateful for the support they have shown to the diabetes community in this and many other ways.
Hope this is just the beginning of a new wave of better designed diabetes products. One thing I think would be really helpful is an instant charting app for the glucose numbers, sort of like what you see on a CGM screen. Then I could get somewhat similar information about trends from my BG as well as CGM. I’ll have to check out the bgstar app.
FreeStyle Tracker is back!
@Anne – Team Type 1 and Sanofi got together later after a few years of Team Type 1 getting off the ground thanks to Abbott diabetes care and later Insulet.
My 10-year-old Type 1 daughter already carries an iPad for schoolwork. I’ve scoured the web trying to determine whether IBGStar can exchange data with the IBGStar app running on an iPad 2 or 3. No joy.
A nice Scottish gent mentions that it works with the iPad, yet offers no example/evidence in a recent YouTube video.
Dream combo would be a small, reliable meter that can both function independently and sync its data with a iDevice wirelessly. I’d hoped WaveSense Wireless Jazz might bit the bill, but all online info indicates that WaveSense wirelessly syncs only with WaveSense’s ZeroClick software running on a PC. Why no workee with WaveSense’s iPad app (whose interface is identical to IBGStar’s — I’m sure that’s no accident)?
Steve, thanks for the correction.
IlDavo, I have heard unsubstantiated rumors that it works with the iPad. My guess is that they can’t put out anything official because it wasn’t tested extensively like with the iPhone/iTouch.
Seems to be working just fine with my iPad 2. Just make sure your case allows the connector to be completely inserted.
Only two issues: 1) As of now the iBGStar app isn’t Universal, so it will only run in a window. 2) If you use the meter on iPad and iPhone, you have to set up preferences and download glucose data twice. It would be great if they could sync automatically via iCloud.
Trying to get an iBGStar case for an iPhone 4 in the US. They are only available in Canada at this time. Is there any provider that will ship to US? Thanks!
[...] order to survive, and I have to agree. The good news is, it’s happening, with innovations such as Sanofi’s iPhone-integrated IBGStar blood glucose meter. (disclosure: they’re a client) Let’s keep looking for ways to bust out of [...]
Why can’t we get a case for this in the US?? Europe has 2 different styles, Canada has them – why are we always last and when will they be available
I bought the Ibgstar today and upon getting it home found that it will not fit my phone with the Otterbox case attached. I working law enforcement and consider my Otterbox invaluable to protect my phone. I was really looking or ward to using this meter and I am severely disappointed. I really wish a little more research had been done during development.
I love this meter! Are there plans to allow the readings to automatically sync with pumps like the OneTouch meters do? My daughter has a Medtronic device, and it would be amazing to have that option for her!
Is there any idea of when the version 2 of the app will be available? Apparently it’s been available in Europe since May.
[...] frequently moving from one platform to another. But recently, some S.O.B. gave me one of those damn iBG Star meters and now I’m in [...]
I’m posting this comment long after the blog post on the iBGStar. I live in NJ, and with Hurricane Sandy on its way, I realized a great disadvantage of the iBGStar is that it doesn’t have its own battery! I went to the pharmacy today to buy One Touch Strips (not the Verio – it also plugs in!) I am worried about a power outage. There’s something to be said for meters that run on a small battery that needs to be replaced, in my experience, only once annually!
Our experience has been disappointing. We were so excited about the compatibility with the iPhone but it has very inaccurate readings. My daughter had been experiencing unusual and unexplained highs at lunch and then crashing about 2pm. On the 3rd day of this, I had her re-check with another meter. The IBGStar read 404 and the One Touch was 114. CRAZY and dangerous!
Hi! I’m an ultra marathon runner and use this meter to sample my blood glucose levels before and after my training and/or race events. I then send the data via the email feature to my nutritionist who is able to analyze the data.
It’s a great device, which I’m sure will be improved upon. When I purchased this from Walgreens, it was originally priced at $84. But, through some type of subsidy / vendor incentive, my final price was ~$4. (No insurance involved here either). But I can see how the cost of the test strips are the limiting factor to many people especially those with Diabetes.
In any case, keep up the good work, and try to increase lost cost access to your products.
Alex