- Technology delivers accurate, real-time glucose readings, eliminating the need for routine fingersticks4 for people living with diabetes
- A quick scan of the FreeStyle Libre sensor worn on the back of the upper arm gives users and their doctors a detailed picture of glucose results and actionable insights
- Multiple, new real-world studies14, 18-20 demonstrate that use of the FreeStyle Libre system can lead to significant clinical benefits among people living with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes
Abbott, a global healthcare leader, announced today that the FreeStyle Libre system, the world’s leading5 continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology, is now available for adults and children (ages four and up) living with diabetes in the Philippines, offering them more choice, and ultimately improving glucose control6.
Simple and discreet for those living with diabetes, the FreeStyle Libre system monitors glucose levels continuously, every minute through a small, coin-sized sensor worn on the back of the upper arm for up to 14 days – making it the longest-lasting CGM available globally.
Since its introduction in 2014, the FreeStyle Libre portfolio has revolutionized the way diabetes is managed globally by over 2 million users across 50 countries7. Of these, 36 countries have full or partial reimbursed access to FreeStyle Libre, including Australia, Canada, Greece, Japan, the United Kingdom and United States. FreeStyle Libre provides breakthrough technology that is accessible and affordable8. Beyond the proven benefits for people living with Type 1 diabetes, real-world data show use of the FreeStyle Libre significantly reduces HbA1c levels in people with Type 2 diabetes, whether using insulin or not.
Diabetes has emerged as a serious health concern in the Philippines. With an estimated 6 million living with the condition, the Philippines ranks among the top five countries in Western Pacific region for number of people with diabetes9. Diabetes is also among the leading causes for mortality in the Philippines.
How Urban Filipinos Manage Diabetes
A recent Abbott-commissioned survey, titled ‘Diabetes Management Among Urban Filipinos’, among doctors, people with diabetes and caregivers in urban Philippines has found that 8 out of 10 people with diabetes surveyed believe that they manage diabetes ‘well’, but 9 out of 10 respondents have high post-meal glucose levels greater than 140 mg/dL (the American Diabetes Association advises a normal fasting glucose level less than 100 mg/dL and a post-meal level less than 140 mg/dL). The survey also highlights that 62% of the survey’s respondents have HbA1C (glycosylated haemoglobin) of 7 or more, indicating that diabetes is not being managed well over the longer term.
To track their glucose levels, most Filipinos must endure multiple, painful fingersticks each day to ensure they are in a normal glucose range. The Abbott survey also reveals that finger-sticking during blood glucose monitoring is generally rated as a hindrance for effective diabetes management, according to doctors. Indeed, eliminating finger sticks emerged as the main improvement users want in a blood glucose monitoring device, with 63% people with diabetes wanting a device with ‘no pricking’. Mothers of children with diabetes felt that their kids would be able to manage glucose levels better if they did not have to bear finger-sticks.
Mr Jam Corona from Manila, a FreeStyle Libre user, says “My old glucometers didn't have a feature to show if my blood sugar is dropping or not, so I've suffered hypoglycemia a number of times in the past. This also greatly affected my wife who, unfortunately, has had to bear the heavy emotional burden of coping with my hypoglycemic episodes. This changed when I tried the Abbott FreeStyle Libre - with its glucose levels trend feature, I can now proactively prevent a bout of hypoglycemia before it happens; this also gives my wife greater comfort and peace of mind.”
FreeStyle Libre Provides Powerful Health Outcomes
The FreeStyle Libre sensor measures glucose every minute in interstitial fluid through a small (5.5mm long) filament that is inserted just under the skin and held in place with a small adhesive pad. A quick scan of the sensor with a reader provides a real-time glucose reading and a detailed picture of a person's glucose levels, without the need for painful, routine fingersticks or daily calibration, enabling meaningful lifestyle and therapy interventions with actionable insights.
“Abbott’s revolutionary technology has changed the way millions of people manage diabetes globally and we are excited to bring this to the Philippines,” said Robert Wagner, general manager of the diabetes care division at Abbott. “Filipinos now have a choice of managing diabetes better by making adjustments to diet, medication or lifestyle, as FreeStyle Libre provides actionable information including current glucose levels, 8-hour glucose history, a trend arrow indicating how the glucose is moving and also the time-in-range.”
Clinical trials and real-world data show that users of the FreeStyle Libre system have improved glucose control6, decreased time in hyperglycemia10 and hypoglycemia11 as well as reduced hospitalizations12, HbA1C13 levels, and improved quality of life.
Recent findings from the RELIEF study in France14 have showed for the first time, in the largest retrospective analysis of its kind of nearly 75,000 people living with diabetes, use of the FreeStyle Libre system dramatically decreases diabetic ketoacidosis-related hospitalizations in people living with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
Real-world data15 recently presented at the American Diabetes Association 80th Scientific Sessions suggest people with type 2 diabetes can achieve similar outcomes to adding insulin therapy for both long-acting insulin or non-insulin users. The results demonstrated overall lower HbA1c levels associated with the use of Abbott's technology, specifically a 0.8% drop after six months (from 8.5% to 7.7%) and 0.6% drop after one year of FreeStyle Libre system use (from 8.5% to 7.9%) – clinically significant reductions of average glucose levels over time toward the ADA's recommended A1c goal of 7% for adults with diabetes16. These results are similar to outcomes typically seen when adding insulin therapy to treatment regimens17, indicating people may be able to manage their glucose levels with CGM technology instead of adding insulin.
Dr Michael Villa of the Philippine Society of Endocrinology & Metabolism said, “FreeStyle Libre’s technology offers a convenient and relatively painless option to get more frequent glucose readings. Compared to a conventional fingerstick method that gives a single glucose reading at just one specific point in time, this technology provides physicians with a comprehensive Ambulatory Glucose Profile and Time-in-Range to help make informed treatment decisions. It also gives patients actionable glucose readings and trends all through their day. Recently published data from Japan concludes that flash glucose monitoring technology helps achieve better glycemic control than conventional self-monitoring of blood glucose in people with non-insulin treated Type 2 diabetes.”
FreeStyle Libre is available in the Philippines across multiple Mercury Drugstore outlets and can also be purchased at Abbott’s official online store on www.lazada.com.ph/abbott-official-online-store-by-great-deals/.
About the ‘Diabetes Management Among Urban Filipinos’ survey
The survey was commissioned by Abbott and conducted over February-March 2020 by Branding Science, an independent market research consultancy based in London, San Francisco, Singapore and Manila. The study was conducted across Metro Manila and segmented respondents based on different factors, such as gender, age, type of diabetes and location. The multi-stakeholder survey was conducted across three respondent categories: people with diabetes, their caregivers and doctors.
Total sample size covered was 200, comprising 140 people with diabetes, 10 caregivers and 50 doctors (11 Diabetologists, 35 Endocrinologists and 4 Paediatric Endocrinologists). All people with diabetes recruited for the survey had been living with diabetes for at least a year.
About Abbott
Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 107,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.
Connect with Abbott at www.abbott.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @FreeStyleDiabet, @AbbottNews or @AbbottGlobal.
References:
1 Scanning the sensor to obtain glucose values does not require lancets
2 A finger prick test using a blood glucose meter is required during times of rapidly changing glucose levels when interstitial fluid glucose levels may not accurately reflect blood glucose levels or if hypoglycaemia or impending hypoglycaemia is reported by the system or when symptoms do not match the system readings
3 Most people did not feel any discomfort while applying or wearing the FreeStyle Libre sensor. In a 2013 US study conducted by Abbott Diabetes Care, 100% of patients surveyed (n=30) rated that applying the sensor was painless or almost painless and 93.4% of patients strongly agree or agree that while wearing the sensor, they did not feel any discomfort under their skin. Data on file
4 Fingersticks are required for treatment decisions when you see Check Blood Glucose symbol, when symptoms do not match system readings, when you suspect readings may be inaccurate, or when you experience symptoms that may be due to high or low blood glucose
5 Data on file, Abbott Diabetes Care. Data based on the number of users worldwide for the FreeStyle Libre system compared to the number of users for other leading personal use, sensor-based glucose monitoring systems
6 Haak, Thomas, et al. Flash glucose-sensing technology as a replacement for blood glucose monitoring for the management of insulin-treated type 2 diabetes: a multicenter, open-label randomized controlled trial. Diabetes Therapy 8.1 (2017): 55-73r
7 Data on file; Abbott Diabetes Care
8 Based on a comparison of list prices of the FreeStyle Libre 14 day versus competitors CGM systems. The actual cost to patients may or may not be lower than other CGM systems, depending on the amount covered by insurance, if any
9 https://www.idf.org/our-network/regions-members/western-pacific/diabetes-in-wp.html ; accessed on April 9, 2020.
10 Acute diabetes complications defined by hypoglycemia, hypoglycemic coma, hyperglycemia, ketoacidosis, or hyperosmolarity ICD-10 codes as primary diagnosis for inpatient or as any position in the outpatient emergency claim; Matthew Kerr, Gregory Roberts, Diana Souto, Yelena Nabutovsky
11 Bolinder, Jan, et al. Novel glucose-sensing technology and hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetes: a multicentre, non-masked, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet 388.10057 (2016): 2254-2263
12Fokkert M, van Dijk P,Edens M, et al. Improved wellbeing and decreased disease burden after 1-year use of flash glucose monitoring (FLARENL4). BMJ Open Diab Res Care
2019;7:e000809. doi:10.1136/bmjdrc-2019-000809
13 Improving HbA1c control in people with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes using flash glucose monitoring: a retrospective observational analysis in two German centers; Gerhard Klausmann, Ludger Rose, Alexander Seibold
14 Roussel et al. Dramatic drop in ketoacidosis rate after FreeStyle Libre system initiation in type 1 and type 2 diabetes in France, especially in people with low self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG): a nationwide study.
15 Miller, Brandner et al. HbA1c Reduction After Initiation of the FreeStyle Libre System in Type 2 Diabetes Patients on Long-Acting Insulin or Non-Insulin Therapy.
16 American Diabetes Association. A1C and eAG. http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/blood-glucose-control/a1c/.
17 Intensive blood-glucose control with sulphonylureas or insulin compared with conventional treatment and risk of complications in patients with type 2 diabetes (UKPDS 33). UK Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) Group. Lancet. 1998;352(9131):837–853.
18 Eeg-Olofsson et al. Sustainable HbA1c decrease at 12 months for adults with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes using the FreeStyle Libre System: a study within the National Diabetes Register in Sweden.
19 Bergenstal et al. FreeStyle Libre® System Use Is Associated with Reduction in Inpatient and Outpatient Emergency Acute Diabetes Events and All-Cause Hospitalizations in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.
20 Hirsch et al. Utilization of Continuous Glucose Monitors is Associated with Reduction in Inpatient and Outpatient Emergency Acute Diabetes Events Regardless of Prior Blood Test Strip Usage.
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