6
NEWS
Revita results
encouraging
Latest results from the makers of
Revita, the revolutionary 'intestine
resurfacing' device being proposed
as a treatment for T2D, offer a
glimmer of light in the relentless
quest to find a way of tackling the
root cause of the condition.
Fractyl Health the
manufacturers of Revita have
announced the results from a
study of 34 people in Europe
and South America who had the
procedure up two years ago.
The study showed there was an
average one per cent fall from
8.5% to 7.5% in HbAc1 - the
level of red blood cell proteins
linked to sugar which is the
standard method of measuring
diabetes. Volunteers in the trial
also experienced an average
3.1kg (6.8lbs) weight loss, and an
increase in levels of high-density
lipoprotein (HDL), the so-called
'good' cholesterol.
The Revita DMR - duodenal
mucosa resurfacing device, works
by stripping away the lining of
the duodenum, the first part of
the digestive system after the
stomach, which can become
thickened by dietary fats, sugars
and other foods in people
with T2D.
This mucosal layer is
responsible for producing the
hormones that govern metabolism
and this thickening reduces its
efficiency. Rejuvenating the lining
in this way improves blood sugar
control, but more research is
needed to find out how long this
improvement continues or what
the longer-term effect of the
treatment might be.
To read our earlier coverage of
this treatment, CLICK HERE.
Dexcom's product pipeline
A raft of new products to reduce
the chore of living with diabetes,
are in the pipeline from Dexcom.
The innovations called G7, a new
slimline super fast continuous
glucose monitor; Dexcom ONE
which transmit continuous glucose
monitoring to a smart phone, and a
variety of application programming
interfaces - APIs which allow
computers to talk to each other, all
represent big advances.
Dexcom has already set up a
partnership with Garmin, maker
of smart watches, and Garmin
has launched apps to be used in
conjunction with Dexcom devices to
give people with T1 or T2D a quick
way to see glucose levels and trends,
even while they are working out. The
new apps are also compatible with
bike computers.
Continuous glucose monitoring
(CGM) is increasingly replacing the
need for constant finger pricking
to sample blood glucose levels. It
works by a tiny sensor inserted just
under the skin on the stomach or
arm, measuring 'interstitial' glucose
- the level of glucose found in the
fluid between cells. The sensor tests
the glucose every few minutes and
wirelessly transmits the information
to a monitoring device.
However, market analysts say the
despite its obvious benefits, CGM
remains relatively underused because
it is perceived as complicated. That
view is now set to change: "New
products like G7 are important
because they improve patient
experience which makes it more
likely that patients will say yes to
CGM therapy over the alternative
(fingersticks)," said Travis Steed
of Barclays. "The G7 will be an
important product that helps make
CGM the standard of care for
patients who use insulin therapy."
Dexcom chairman and chief
executive Kevin Sayer, says the
company is scaling up manufacturing
plans with new and expanded
operations in Malaysia, Arizona and
San Diego to meet the anticipated
growth in demand. "By the end of
2023, if we build out the way we're
planning, we're going to have the
capacity to build hundreds of millions
of these things, whereas we're only
selling tens of millions of sensors
now," he said. Meanwhile, the G7
is being launched in Britain later
this year.
www.dexcom.com/uk
The current Dexcom G6 (on the left) and the new G7
which is coming to the UK soon.