Abbott announces 2 collaborations to help people with diabetes

Abbott intends to help people with diabetes through two partnerships.

Abbott and The American Diabetes Association are collaborating to better understand how diabetes technology, like continuous glucose monitoring systems, can help people living with diabetes make informed decisions about their food and activity.

Dietary habits play a pivotal role in glucose control. Nonetheless, individual variations in glycemic response to the same foods make it very challenging to prescribe a universal nutritional plan for diabetes management. Clinical studies support that keeping glucose levels steady over time leads to better clinical outcomes for people with diabetes, Abbott said.

[Read more: Driving innovation in diabetes care]

CGM systems, like those made by Abbott, are an important tool in helping a person manage their diabetes. They offer personalized, real-time data on how food and activity affect glucose levels. Over time, research shows that the data from CGMs allows people with diabetes to learn patterns and create a nutritional plan that provides steady glucose levels and the potential for improved clinical outcomes, like lowering A1C.  

"What people with diabetes eat is a critical part of managing their diabetes," said Charles "Chuck” Henderson, CEO of the ADA. "Personalized nutrition using CGMs has the potential to revolutionize diabetes management by providing individuals with more data and tools to manage their glucose levels, improve their quality of life and reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications. The ADA is grateful to Abbott for its continued support of our mission to improve the lives of people impacted by diabetes."

[Read more: Diabetes management gets some high-tech help]

For more than 20 years, Abbott and the ADA have worked together with a shared mission to fight for all those affected by diabetes. Abbott is providing a $2.65 million grant over the next three years to the ADA to enable them to:

• Engage with top healthcare professionals and key opinion leaders to evaluate existing clinical evidence on the use of CGM systems for personalized, therapeutic nutrition;
• Launch two pilot programs targeted at adults with Type 2 diabetes to gain a deeper understanding of the role a CGM can play in personalized therapeutic nutrition. These programs will leverage CGM data to understand how they help people with diabetes achieve their objectives, which include modifications to their nutritional intake and dietary habits; and
• Host roundtable discussions in collaboration with renowned healthcare experts to review and evaluate the existing clinical evidence. These discussions will investigate the role of therapeutic nutrition using CGM data and its potential to inform nutrition recommendations.

"Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre technology can be a critical tool for all people living with diabetes, not only those on insulin," said Robert Ford, chairman and CEO of Abbott. "We look forward to working with the American Diabetes Association to gather further evidence to show how the technology we designed to be affordable and accessible can provide personalized insights t0 help people make informed decisions about their food and activity."

Abbott also recently showcased its new connected app experience with Weight Watchers during a demonstration led by Abbott's chief medical officer Mahmood Kazemi and WeightWatchers’ chief scientific officer Gary Foster.

The connected app experience, which is available now for people living with Type 2 diabetes, syncs key glucose data from Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre 2 continuous glucose monitoring system within the WeightWatchers app, allowing people to learn how food and activity impact their glucose levels. The experience is guided by the WW Diabetes-Tailored Plan to make healthier choices—so one can lose weight and lower their A1C.

The presentation took place at the ADA's 83rd Scientific Sessions in San Diego, Calif.