Roche Buys Diabetes App-Maker mySugr

Image courtesy of mySugr.

Roche has acquired mySugr, a digital diabetes management platform, taking a step into the field of mobile apps for health monitoring.

The acquisition positions Roche to enhance interoperability and integration with its Accu-Chek line of blood glucose monitors.

Roche, which made the announcement in a news release Friday, has been working in partnership with mySugr since February. The apps receive and log blood glucose data sent by Roche’s Accu-Chek monitoring devices.

MySugr boasts more than one million users across the globe, the company says. The app-maker has become a mainstay in diabetes management with Logbook, which allows patients with diabetes to monitor and record blood glucose levels throughout the day. Coaching, a more recent venture launched by mySugr in 2016, offers patients with diabetes personalized care education.

The announcement comes on the heels of promising study results, announced in February, pertaining to mySugr’s potential efficacy. MySugr reviewed these results at the International Conference on Advanced Technologies & Treatments in Paris.

Researchers monitored 440 randomly selected patients over a 6-month period in this trial. The patients in the study were categorized as “high-risk,” meaning their estimated A1c was above 8% at baseline. Researchers instructed study participants on how to use Logbook to monitor blood glucose levels.

Six months of continuous use of mySugr resulted in an mean eA1c reduction of 1.4% and a mean HBGI reduction of 62% (from medium to low risk).

“Baseline BG-results were 210.75±69.36 mg/dl … dropping to 173.08 ±63.26 mg/dl — a reduction in mean of 17.88% (p<0.0001), in SD of 8.79% (p<0.005),” the study says.

Roland Diggelman, CEO of Roche Diagnostics, sees the partnership as highly beneficial to patients with diabetes.

“Our aim is to support people with diabetes to spend more time in their ideal glucose target range and improve their quality of life,” Diggelmann said.

Roche notes that users will still be able to upload blood glucose data from their monitoring devices into Logbook. The ability to share data with healthcare providers will also remain unchanged.

Frank Westermann, CEO and Co-Founder of mySugr, says the merger will help to further simplify diabetes management.

“The mySugr team has filled a gap for over a million loyal users so far, and with Roche’s diabetes expertise and global network, mySugr will become an indispensable companion for hassle-free life,” Westermann said.

Related coverage

MySugr Announces Study Results as Roche Lauds Expanded Partnership