J&J’s new diabetes weapon
September 9, 2010
LAST week Johnson and Johnson
Medical introduced to the industry
a new way to measure blood
glucose, the ONETOUCH Verio
Blood Glucose Metre.
Launched at a lavish event held
at the Sydney Convention and
Exhibition Centre, in front of the
‘who’s who’ of diabetes care, as
part of the annual Australian
Diabetes Society and Australian
Diabetes Educators Association
Scientific Meeting, the ONETOUCH
system is said to offer unparalleled
accuracy with its world first Tri-Sure
strip technology which is very
specific to glucose and does not
react to maltose and galactose.
The new product also does not
require patients to manually code
their meters, and only requires a
small blood sample for results.
The meter, according to J&J is
an “all-in-one” system (incl. meter,
test strips and a sterile lancet), that
displays results that are clear and
easy to read, with other features
including a five second test time,
meal flagging and commenting, a
downloadable 500-test result memory,
and back button for easy review.
Welcoming guests to the launch
dinner, Namal Nawana, J&J area
vp said the company was excited
to partner with healthcare
professionals “to help people with
diabetes live a life without limits.
“Technology cannot do it alone,”
he said, adding that “we know first
hand that when it comes to managing
diabetes, team work is crucial”.
Speakers at the event included
healthy lifestyle specialist and TV
host of ‘ Guide to the Good Life’
Dr Caroline West, as well as
Professor of Medicine and and
Diabetes Treatment at the
University of Washington School of
Medicine, Dr Irl Hirsch, who spoke
about the importance of blood
meter accuracy.
“It turns out that hypoglycaemia
is associated with the same risk
factors for cardiovascular disease,
such as inflammation, oxidative
stress, and endothelial dysfunction,
as hyperglycaemia,” he added.
Too many fluctuations between
high and low blood glucose levels,
according to Hirsch, “are not good
for the long-term health of a
person with diabetes, and the
more extreme the fluctuations the
greater the risk of complications”.
“The best way for a person to be
aware of their glycaemic variability,
and improve it in order to avoid
highs and lows, is through frequent
blood glucose testing over a
substantial period of time, and a
meter is crucial for this process,”
he added.
Also in attendance at the event
was the former US Acting Surgeon
General (2006) and current
Chairman of the Johnson &
Johnson Diabetes Institute, Dr
Kenneth P. Moritsugu, who himself
a diabetic, thanked healthcare
professionals “for what you do
every single day in serving people
with diabetes.”
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