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ABBOTT PARK, Ill., Sept. 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Abbott (NYSE: ABT ) today announced that the FreeStyle ® Libre system is now available for reimbursement in the United Kingdom (UK). The National Health Service (NHS) Business Services Authority has approved the listing on the Drug Tariff for the FreeStyle Libre system for people with diabetes using insulin. This means that from Nov. 1, 2017 it will be available for reimbursement iii via the NHS across England and Wales , NHS Scotland, and the Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland .
Abbott's FreeStyle Libre system is designed to change how people with diabetes measure their glucose levels and ultimately help them achieve better health outcomes. The system automatically reads glucose levels through a sensor, approximately the size of a U.S. quarter, that is worn on the back of the upper arm for up to 14 days, eliminating the need for calibration and routine finger sticks i .
Two published clinical trials iv,v , including one published in The Lancet , together with real-world evidence from more than 50,000 users vi show that people with diabetes who use the FreeStyle Libre system scan their glucose levels an average of 15 times per day. The studies show that people who scan more frequently spend less time in hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and demonstrate improved glucose control overall. As such, use of the FreeStyle Libre system leads to improved diabetes management.
Abbott's FreeStyle Libre system was introduced across Europe in 2014, and is now available in 41 countries and used by more than 300,000 vii people with diabetes around the world. The UK now joins a group of 17 partially or fully reimbursed countries including France , Germany and Japan .
Diabetes in the UK Approximately 6 percent of the UK population, about 3.5 million people, are diagnosed with diabetes. viii It is predicted that up to 549,000 people in the UK have diabetes that is yet to be diagnosed. ix
About the FreeStyle Libre System Abbott's FreeStyle Libre system is designed to change how people with diabetes measure their glucose levels and ultimately help them achieve better health outcomes. The system reads glucose levels through a sensor that can be worn on the back of the upper arm for up to 14 days, eliminating the need for routine finger sticks i . In addition, no finger stick calibration is needed—a key differentiator from current consumer continuous glucose monitoring systems. In the U.S., the FreeStyle Libre system is currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. x
About Abbott At Abbott, we're committed to helping people live their best possible life through the power of health. For more than 125 years, we've brought new products and technologies to the world -- in nutrition, diagnostics, medical devices and branded generic pharmaceuticals -- that create more possibilities for more people at all stages of life. Today, 94,000 of us are working to help people live not just longer, but better, in the more than 150 countries we serve.
Connect with us at www.abbott.com , on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @FreeStyleDiabet, @AbbottNews and @AbbottGlobal.
i A finger stick test using a glucometer is required during times of rapidly changing glucose levels when interstitial fluid glucose levels may not accurately reflect blood glucose levels; or if hypoglycemia or impending hypoglycemia is reported by the system; or when symptoms do not match the system readings ii Data on File, Abbott Diabetes Care Inc, Clinical Report: Evaluation of the Accuracy of the Abbott Sensor-Based Interstitial Glucose Monitoring System 2014 iii Pending local health economy approval through the UK Clinical Commissioning Groups iv Haak T, Hanaire H, Ajjan R, Hermanns N, Riveline JP, Rayman G. Use of Flash Glucose-Sensing Technology for 12 months as a Replacement for Blood Glucose Monitoring in Insulin-treated Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Ther. 2017 Jun;8(3):573-586. doi: 10.1007/s13300-017-0255-6. Epub 2017 Apr 11 v Bolinder J, Antuna R, Geelhoed-Duijvestijn P, Kroger J, Weitgasser R. Novel glucose-sensing technology and hypoglycaemia in type 1 diabetes: a multicentre, non-masked, randomised controlled trial [published online September 12, 2016 ]. The Lancet. 2016; Haak, T., Hanaire, H., Ajjan, R., Hermanns, N., Riveline, J., & Rayman, G. (2016, February) vi Dunn TC, Xu Y, Hayter G. "Evidence of a strong association between frequency of flash glucose monitoring and glucose control measures during real-world usage." Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics, Volume 19, Supplement 1, 2017 vii Data on file, Abbott Diabetes Care, Inc viii DiabetesUK.org, https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Professionals/Position-statements-reports/Statistics/Diabetes-prevalence-2016/ ix Diabetes Facts and Stats: 2015 - Diabetes UK, published 2015 x Pending FDA approval. Not available for sale in the United States