A new continuous glucose monitor (CGM) geared towards doctors to help patients with diabetes achieve “optimal health” has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The professional CGM system has been specifically designed to empower healthcare professionals to provide better diabetes management for their patients.
The FreeStyle Libre Pro System differs from the FreeStyle Libre, that is available for home patient use in the UK, in that the Pro System has been designed with the healthcare professional’s vantage point in mind.
Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre Pro System is the third CGM system specifically for use by healthcare professionals on the US market.
The other two which are currently available include the Dexcom G4 Platinum Professional Real-Time CGM and the Medtronic iPro2 Professional CGM.
A key advantage of the Libre Pro System is that the reader is significantly cheaper than other professional CGM readers. One reader can be used to monitor multiple patients without needing purchase receivers and transmitters for each patient.
Another way in which the Libre Pro is different to the other professional CGM devices is that it does not require finger-stick calibration. It also does not require disinfection on any of the reusable parts and long data capture periods are available.
The system works in the same way as the FreeStyle Libre for home use, that is by attaching a small sensor to the back of the person’s arm for up to 14 days. The Libre Pro measures and records glucose levels in interstitial fluid every 15 minutes.
After two weeks the person’s doctor will scan the sensor and download all the glucose data, generating a visual report. Readings from the device’s sensors are only available to patients through consultation with a healthcare professional.
In a statement, Dr Eugene E Wright Jr, from the Duke Southern Regional Area Health Education Center in the US, said: “My patients are often out of range, due to inconsistent self-monitoring and insufficient data from traditional glucose meters that are unable to provide a full view of their glucose levels.”
Jared Watki, senior vice president of diabetes care at Abbott, said: “FreeStyle Libre Pro transforms how doctors assess their patients’ diabetes.
“This novel technology provides a solution to the ongoing challenge of the need for complete and dependable glucose data. This data is imperative for not only the doctor, but also for the patient to help them achieve optimal health.”
Abbott recently submitted the consumer version of the FreeStyle Libre system, which has been on the market in Europe since 2014, to the FDA for review.

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