Roche, a leader in research-focused healthcare with combined strengths in pharma and diagnostics, has launched cobas b 101 globally excluding US. Cobas b 101 is a new system for the diagnosis and management of metabolic syndrome which is designed for use at the point of care – at the doctor’s office or outpatient clinic. The new cobas b 101 system is the only system that offers early risk assessment and prognosis in patients with metabolic syndrome, a combination of factors associated with a higher risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Producing rapid test results in only 15 minutes –with the same precision as a medical laboratory and using blood from a single finger prick – Roche’s cobas b 101 system supports healthcare professionals in the screening, diagnosis and long-term monitoring of patients.

“By offering easy to use, fast and precise point-of-care analysis, cobas b 101 system represents a step forward in the management of metabolic syndrome and has the potential to improve patients’ quality of life and clinical outcomes,” said Roland Diggelmann, COO of Roche Diagnostics. “Roche is committed to supporting healthcare professionals with new, more efficient diagnostic tools and helping to reduce healthcare spending by bringing testing to the patient.”

Metabolic syndrome is estimated to affect 20–25 per cent of the global adult population. It is reflected in increasing levels of diabetes, from which an estimated 366 million people suffer worldwide. As more than half of all people with diabetes may go undiagnosed, detection of very early symptoms is essential. With cobas b 101 system Roche aims to support pharmacists, general practitioners and other clinicians in daily medical practice to better diagnose and manage patients with hyperglycaemia (elevated fasting blood sugar) and dyslipidaemia (poorly controlled cholesterol), the two main risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Offering combined monitoring of patients’ long-term glucose control and key blood lipids levels (high-density and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, as well as triglycerides), cobas b 101 system measures two major indicators that aid in the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome. The testing of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) supports appropriate monitoring and treatment by identifying people with high blood glucose levels. Blood lipid panel testing allows doctors to determine whether a patient is at increased risk of heart and blood vessel disease. Highly elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in the blood may lead to the accumulation of cholesterol on the artery walls.