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By Meg Flippin, Benzinga
You can’t wing it when it comes to diabetes. Everything you eat and drink, the amount of physical activity you engage in and the medicines you take must be monitored closely. Keeping your blood glucose level within its target range is vital in preventing other medical issues.
But managing diabetes can be cumbersome and intrusive. The main way of tracking glucose in your blood is via a glucose meter which requires you to prick your finger several times a day to get a sample of your blood. These meters provide blood glucose readings – which is considered the most accurate form of glucose monitoring – however testing must be done often and even then users can miss highs and lows in their glucose and the direction in which their glucose is changing. This type of monitoring is also a constant reminder of the disease.
A More Modern Approach
Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) offers a better alternative. With it, your glucose level is monitored automatically through a device worn on the body 24 hours a day. It enables you to review your glucose levels to make well-informed decisions and adjust your behavior on a continual basis.
These devices also enable people with diabetes to review how their glucose levels change over hours, days, weeks and months. Using a CGM device can help patients better manage glucose levels, reduce the number of low glucose events and decrease or eliminate the number of finger pricks. If your glucose rises or drops beyond a certain threshold, you’ll be alerted.
The convenience is a big reason why the market for CGM devices is large and growing. In 2024 it is forecast to hit $16.2 billion and reach $44.6 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 10.3%. Driving the demand is a need among patients to find a more convenient way to manage this chronic disease. After all, life doesn’t have to stop just because you have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Diabetes is a disease that's growing in the U.S. and around the globe, impacting people of all ages. The total number of people around the globe who suffer from diabetes is projected to reach 643 million by 2030 and soar to 783 million by 2045. While adults are the most likely to be diagnosed with diabetes, it impacts children as well at a growing rate.
Not Every CGM Device Is The Same
But when it comes to CGM, not all devices are created equally. The duration that the monitoring lasts, the placement of the device, the type of glucose being tested and how often data is received differ from one manufacturer to the next. Take DexCom Inc. (NASDAQ: DXCM) for starters. Its CGM device consists of sensors worn under the skin that must be reapplied every 10 to 15 days, depending on the system, and which monitor glucose data every five minutes. The results are accurate but they measure interstitial glucose, which can lag 10 to 15 minutes behind blood glucose, so there is a delay versus blood glucose readings.
Meanwhile, FreeStyle Libre by Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) is a CGM device that also monitors glucose from interstitial fluids just underneath the skin rather than glucose in the blood. It uses a sensor that is worn on the back of the arm and measures glucose every minute versus every five minutes. The sensor has to be reapplied every 14 or 15 days, depending on the system.
Eversense, a CGM device made by Senseonics Holdings Inc. (NYSE: SENS), is another type that works by implanting a small sensor under your skin, along with a transmitter worn on top of the skin. It measures the glucose in interstitial fluids every five minutes and the sensor works for up to 180 days before it needs to be swapped out.
While all these devices are much easier to use than multiple finger pricks a day, they do require some intervention after a period of time and don’t measure glucose in the blood. And, they each require an on-body wearable, so there is the possibility of skin irritation and sensors falling off early or during physical activities like swimming or hot yoga. Additionally, having a wearable on the body reduces the amount of discretion that some people with diabetes desire.
A Potentially Better Way
Glucotrack, Inc. (NASDAQ: GCTK) is different. The Rutherford, New Jersey, medical technology company focused on the design, development and commercialization of novel technologies for people with diabetes has developed a Continuous Blood Glucose Monitor (CBGM) that aims to overcome the challenges of today’s CGM, including delays due to the interstitial lag, the need for frequent sensor changes and concerns regarding comfort and wearability. Unlike the others on the market, Glucotrack's device measures glucose in the blood.
Because Glucotrack’s implantable CBGM measures glucose in the blood, it doesn’t have the lag time associated with subcutaneous sensors that measure glucose in interstitial fluid. The ability to directly measure blood glucose in real-time and on a continuous basis enables a less burdensome approach to glucose monitoring for extended periods of time. Additionally, with no on body wearable, the CBGM offers increased discretion to the user, making it potentially less intrusive to daily living.
What’s more, Glucotrack’s implant can last up to three years, compared to months for the other CGM devices on the market. Patients don’t have to worry about sticking an adhesive to their body or be concerned about it falling off during physical activity. And, with minimal calibration required, the CBGM eliminates the hassle and discomfort of a wearable that requires frequent replacement. Monitoring glucose and thus living with diabetes can become easier with Glucotrack.
Proof Through Studies
Glucotrack has data to back up its claim. It recently completed a second long-term preclinical study for its CBGM device, which showed a Mean Absolute Relative Difference (MARD) of 4.7% at day 90, which is considered highly accurate for a continuous glucose monitor, the company reports. MARD is a key metric used to assess the accuracy of glucose monitoring devices, measuring the average difference between the CBGM device’s measurement and a reference measurement, most often obtained via capillary blood glucose. Lower values indicate better performance, said Glucotrack. The company said the 90-day preclinical study, which included a larger number of animal subjects and a longer duration than the initial 60-day study announced earlier this year, further validates the CBGM sustained accuracy and performance.
“We are again very pleased with the performance of our sensor during a long-term preclinical study and look forward to moving into human clinical trials” stated Paul Goode, Ph.D., president and CEO of Glucotrack. “Our CBGM’s ability to continuously measure blood glucose for three years with accuracy, minimal calibration and without a wearable represents a significant advancement in glucose monitoring. We believe this technology has the potential to greatly improve the quality of life for people with diabetes by providing a more convenient and discreet monitoring solution.”
The company presented preclinical animal data and longevity data at the 84th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) held Jun. 21-24, 2024 in Orlando, Florida. The company also provided market research data showing acceptability of the CBGM with a large number of people with diabetes at the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES) 2024 Annual Conference held Aug. 9-12, 2024, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Diabetes is a chronic disease that’s poised to impact hundreds of millions of people around the globe. Managing the disease today is cumbersome and intrusive, even with the technological advances that the current generation of CGM devices have brought. Glucotrack wants to change that and believes its device is the answer. If preclinical test results are any indication, the company may be on to something that could be life-transforming for people with diabetes.
Featured photo by Sweet Life on Unsplash
Benzinga is a leading financial media and data provider, known for delivering accurate, timely, and actionable financial information to empower investors and traders.
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