Second version of FreeStyle Libre will include optional alarm

An updated version of the FreeStyle Libre will feature an optional alarm to alert high and low blood glucose levels.
The ‘FreeStyle Libre 2’ will be launched in Germany this autumn complete with the optional alert feature, which works through a sound or vibration.
It uses Bluetooth technology to enable the feature, an update from the original Libre which uses near-field communication (NFC).
There will not be an additional cost, with the price staying the same as the original FreeStyle Libre system.
The Freestyle Libre 2 has received a CE Mark for use in Europen, although no UK release date has been confirmed.
“Enabling patients to have optional alarms with the FreeStyle Libre 2 system provides them with even more freedom in managing their condition,” said Dr Jens Kröger, specialist of Internal Medicine and Diabetology at the Center of Diabetology Bergedorf in Hamburg, Germany, who was speaking about the German launch.
“For some patients who are unaware of the hypoglycemia episodes they may be experiencing – especially during sleep – having alarms can be important. Or, for the parents of children with diabetes, alarms can provide peace of mind.
“FreeStyle Libre has transformed the lives of many of my patients in how they monitor their glucose levels, and now with the FreeStyle Libre 2 with optional glucose alarms even more patients can benefit from this revolutionary technology.”
Launched in 2014 by Abbott, the original FreeStyle Libre is currently the only flash monitoring device on the market. Users read their blood glucose levels by scanning a sensor worn on the back of the upper arm, removing the requirement for daily finger prick tests.
It became available to prescribe by the NHS on 1 November, 2017 but Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) make the decision locally. There have been complaints about a perceived postcode lottery access to the device, but now two in three CCGs make the device available for doctors to prescribe on the NHS.
The FreeStyle Libre system is now being used by more than 800,000 people across 44 countries. Abbott has secured partial or full reimbursement for the FreeStyle Libre system in 31 countries, including Germany, the United Kingdom and America.
Picture: JDRF