The FDA cleared Ascensia Diabetes Care’s latest glucose monitoring system, comprising a smart blood glucose meter and app to help patients better understand and manage their diabetes.
The Contour Next One’s smart meter connects to a mobile device and app via Bluetooth. The meter delivers blood glucose data to the Contour Diabetes app, which gathers, stores and analyzes it to recognize trends that may help patients understand their condition better, according to a statement.
The company plans to roll the combo out in early 2017; the app will be available from the Apple App Store and Google Play. The glucose meter itself is Ascensia’s most accurate system to date and has a “smartlight” that gives immediate feedback on blood glucose measurements. The device also provides alerts and reminders as well as an electronic logbook for the recording of meals, activities and medication, according to the statement. Patients may also set up a cloud-based account to manage and store their glucose data.
"We believe the future of healthcare lies in connecting points of care. The first step in that journey for diabetes is to provide a connected system which can add value for people living with diabetes,” Robert Schumm, Ascensia’s U.S. chief, said in the statement. “Today, fewer than two percent of people living with diabetes use a connected meter. Contour Next One is designed to be simple-to-use, and can meet the needs of a broad group of users."
Ascensia was founded in January, when Panasonic Healthcare closed its $1.1 billion acquisition of Bayer Diabetes Care. The new company’s goal is to expand access to “high-quality technologies and diabetes care solutions” to the patients who need them, Panasonic Healthcare President Hidehito Kotani said at the time of the deal.