Roche introduces first self-testing device for Warfarin monitoring with built in Bluetooth® technology

CoaguChek® Vantus system enables wireless reporting of INR results, making it easier for patients to accurately report their results.

INDIANAPOLIS, June 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced today plans to launch the CoaguChek Vantus system, the first self-testing device for coagulation monitoring with built in Bluetooth technology. Patient self-testing with the Bluetooth-enabled CoaguChek Vantus system allows for a new level of patient monitoring. Patients can use their tablet or smartphone with a compatible app to send their results automatically via wireless connectivity which enables healthcare providers to receive patient INR results rapidly and accurately, while also reducing visits to the lab.

For the patient, this means no manual test results entry, and no time spent waiting on the phone to report their results. For the healthcare provider, this means reliable results they can count on sent wirelessly and directly from the patient’s meter to their office and a service provider, such as CoaguChek Patient Services who manage patient training and result reporting.

“As healthcare systems face continued pressure to deliver improved access to care at a lower cost, increased connectivity between healthcare providers and patients becomes even more important,” said Dr. Alan Wright, Chief Medical Officer, Roche Diagnostics. “This innovative technology sets the standard in coagulation monitoring by providing high quality, convenient testing, while optimizing the patient result reporting workflow.

Self-testing can enable patients to test more conveniently, which may improve their time in the target INR range set by their doctor as compared to in-office or lab testing. And when compared with lab testing, patient self-testing has been correlated with fewer thromboembolic events.1

Self-testing provides patients with tools and flexibility to be more engaged in their therapy and this supports better compliance. In addition, self-testing can also help patients stay connected to their doctor, who can quickly receive the results following the patient’s self-test.

The CoaguChek Vantus system is expected to be commercially available in the United States in the Summer of 2018.

More about CoaguChek systems

Since 1993, CoaguChek systems from Roche have set the standard in point-of-care INR testing for patients on oral anticoagulant therapy-giving clinicians confidence in making critical treatment decisions.

The CoaguChek Vantus system includes several additional features to help patients with their self-testing including medication and testing reminders, flagging of results in relation to the target range and the option to insert comments to the result. The hand-held device will enable patients to conveniently monitor INR results with an intuitive user-interface, while enabling flexible remote connectivity to their healthcare providers through Bluetooth technology. Trend report functionality also provides both patients and their healthcare provider with an overview on the stability of their anticoagulation levels. To learn more about the CoaguChek Vantus system, please visit go.roche.com/vantus to learn more about patient self-testing, please visit www.coaguchekpatientservices.com.

More about anticoagulation therapy and INR

Millions of people worldwide are taking warfarin therapy for a variety of indications or conditions, such as atrial fibrillation (AF), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), and the presence of a mechanical heart valve (MHV). To best monitor the efficacy of warfarin therapy, the International Normalized Ratio (INR) needs to be measured. Compared with usual care or management in an anticoagulation clinic, patient self-testing has been shown to result in more time spent in the therapeutic range,1 fewer thromboembolic events,1 improved patient quality of life2-3 and better treatment satisfaction.2-3 This test can be performed at home using a small drop of blood from a patient’s fingertip (patient self-testing).

Taking the correct dose of warfarin is crucial for efficient anticoagulation treatment. The correct dose is established by measuring how long it takes blood to clot, and is called the International Normalized Ratio (INR). The proportion of time INR values are within the upper and lower target value is called Time in Therapeutic Range, or TTR. This is important because the more time patients are in range, the less chance of complications, such as blood clots or excessive bleeding.

About Roche

Roche is a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics focused on advancing science to improve people’s lives. The combined strengths of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics under one roof have made Roche the leader in personalised healthcare - a strategy that aims to fit the right treatment to each patient in the best way possible.

Roche is the world’s largest biotech company, with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and diseases of the central nervous system. Roche is also the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management.

Founded in 1896, Roche continues to search for better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and make a sustainable contribution to society. The company also aims to improve patient access to medical innovations by working with all relevant stakeholders. Thirty medicines developed by Roche are included in the World Health Organization Model Lists of Essential Medicines, among them life-saving antibiotics, antimalarials and cancer medicines. Roche has been recognised as the Group Leader in sustainability within the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences Industry nine years in a row by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI).

The Roche Group, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is active in over 100 countries and in 2017 employed about 94,000 people worldwide. In 2017, Roche invested CHF 10.4 billion in R&D and posted sales of CHF 53.3 billion. Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan. For more information, please visit www.roche.com.

All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law.

For further information, please contact:
Nicole Clark
Communications Business Partner
Roche Diagnostics Corporation
(317) 361-9512
nicole.clark@roche.com

References
1. Heneghan CJ, Garcia-Alamino JM, Spencer EA, et al. Self-monitoring and self-management of oral anticoagulation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2016, Issue 7. Art. No.: CD003839.
2. Matchar, D.B., Jacobson, A., Dolor, R., Edson, R., Uyeda, L., Phibbs, C.S., et al.; THINRS Executive Committee and Site Investigators. (2010). Effect of home testing of international normalized ratio on clinical events. N Engl J Med 363, 1608-1620.
3. Salvador, C.H., Ruiz-Sanchez, A., González de Mingo, M.A., Carmona Rodríguez, M., Carrasco, M.P., Sagredo, P.G., et al. (2008). Evaluation of a telemedicinebased service for the follow-up and monitoring of patients treated with oral anticoagulant therapy. EEE Trans Inf Technol Biomed 12, 696-706.

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SOURCE Roche Diagnostics


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