Medtronic India, the medical device technology major, is planning to enhance its presence in the country with Continuous Glucose Monitoring System (CGMS) technology. The novel device 'ipro-2 CGM' (Professional CGM) in India is being viewed as the ultimate in patient convenience as it is  inserted into the abdominal area by qualified physicians or pathologists and worn by the user for three days as they go about their normal activities including  swimming.

Ipro-2 is a fourth-generation CGMS device to detect hypoglycaemic (low  blood sugar) and hyperglycaemic (high blood sugar) fluctuations leading to health complications and going undetected with traditional Glucometers and  HbA1c tests.

It is compact, lightweight and watertight with a disposable glucose sensor and a small data recorder, to automatically record glucose information. It is simple to start and significantly reduces the clinical time to implement therapy. Data on patients whose medication and lifestyle were adjusted following use of CGMS, has reported half as many hypoglycaemic episodes compared to patients monitoring their glucose with only standard finger prick glucose testing.

CGMS has been in India for around 5 years. Since the 'ipro-2 CGM' launch in 2010, Medtronic has stormed into the 8-10 cities and has now chalked out an ambitious growth plan to tap the opportunities in the Tier II and Tier III cities. The company business model targets only hospitals, clinics and diagnostic labs where extensive training is imparted to medical specialists on  'ipro-2 CGM'.

India accounts for about 62 million diabetics and 75 million pre-diabetics in 2011 which is expected to increase by 170 per cent in 2025.

The market for CGMS is nascent in India. Currently, Medtronic is the only player with the professional CGMS technology which has a huge potential in India going by the rising diabetic incidence. “Therefore, we are working with various healthcare stakeholders to ensure wider use of 'ipro-2 CGM' so that diabetics in the country would be benefited,” stated Milind Shah, managing director, Medtronic India.

“Since the glucose levels are monitored throughout the day, the device provides the information on the effect of different activities like exercise, food, medicine and stress on the patient’s blood glucose levels. The data downloaded on to a computer at the hospital or lab offers a retrospective analysis during a consultation, helping physicians take informed treatment decisions on medication and lifestyle modifications. The CE certified and FDA approved product is already in use in the US, Europe and Australia besides India which is considered as the largest market for growth going by the patient population across age groups, stated the Medtronic India chief.

CGMS has transformed blood glucose evaluation dramatically from  intermittent finger prick reading, to improve the quality of the lives of  diabetics globally. Unlike the standard glucose monitoring level up to a maximum four times a day, CGMS monitors 288 times in a day for 3 continuous days. The device is particularly useful for children with type 1 diabetes, pregnant women and patients with long standing diabetes with no  warning hypoglycaemic symptoms, stated Pawandeep Kaur, manager, Corporate Communications, Medtronic India.