Abbott (NYSE: ABT) today announced that the French health authority has approved the expansion of reimbursement coverage for its FreeStyle Libre 2 system to include all people who use basal insulin as part of their diabetes management. FreeStyle Libre 2 was previously covered only for people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes who require intensive insulin therapy.
More than 90% of people living with diabetes in France have Type 2 diabetes, which can lead, in the absence of appropriate care, to serious complications affecting the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nervous system. The expanded reimbursement enables more people living with diabetes in France to access the latest CGM technology that can help them make informed health and lifestyle decisions.
France is the first country in Europe to expand national reimbursement of Abbott’s world-leading FreeStyle Libre technology to people with diabetes who use basal insulin. This follows similar reimbursement coverage expansions for its technology in Japan and the U.S. Medicare system. Together, this represents 3 million more people living with diabetes who are now eligible to use FreeStyle Libre technology to manage their condition.
“Our goal is to get our FreeStyle Libre technology to as many people as possible,” said Jared Watkin, senior vice president of Abbott’s diabetes care business. “The French national reimbursement decision is an important step in providing broader access to people with diabetes, and we are working with other countries to extend this coverage to more people.”
The French reimbursement expansion was granted based on scientific evidence that shows the clinical benefits of using the FreeStyle Libre system among all people who use insulin. The Real World Evidence of FreeStyle Libre (RELIEF) study, a retrospective study of the French national claims database showed that the use of FreeStyle Libre by people with Type 2 diabetes on once-daily (basal) insulin contributed to significant reductions in acute complications of diabetes, leading to a 67% decrease in hospitalizations.
“Studies have shown that FreeStyle Libre technology can help people with diabetes improve their glucose control, decrease diabetes-related hospital admissions, and reduce the burden associated with conventional self-monitoring of blood glucose,” said Professor Bruno Guerci, Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology, and Nutrition at Brabois Adult Hospital, University of Lorraine, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France. “The expanded reimbursement for Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre 2 now opens up access to allow a new group of patients to experience the benefits of continuous glucose monitoring, which was only available to those with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes and following intensive insulin therapy.”
Source: Company Press Release
