San Diego-based Dexcom this week began selling Stelo, the industry's first FDA-approved continuous glucose monitor that doesn't require a prescription. With a two-pack of the biosensor costing slightly below $100 monthly, the local company is trying to tap right into a recent market of users and expand access to the technology.
Now people without medical insurance coverage for such devices have the chance to purchase Stelo directly from Dexcom's website. The device is meant for adults aged 18 years and older with type 2 diabetes who don’t take insulin and don’t have problematic hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. The device might be worn for as much as 15 days before it needs to get replaced.
A one-time purchase of a single pack of two sensors – which lasts 30 days – costs $99. There can also be a monthly subscription option that costs $89 for 2 sensors delivered every 30 days. The device might be purchased with funds from a versatile spending account or a health savings account.
Stelo — approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for Non-prescription use in March — is a wearable device that matches within the palm of your hand. It is worn on the back of the user's upper arm to watch blood glucose levels – no finger prick required. Connected to a smartphone application, Stelo continuously measures, records and analyzes the user's glucose levels after which presents these leads to the app every quarter-hour.
Dexcom has pioneered technology that helps patients with diabetes through continuous glucose monitoring for greater than twenty years. Now the corporate hopes to succeed in individuals who don't have medical insurance for these kinds of devices, individuals who don't take insulin and folks with prediabetes who simply want to watch their blood sugar levels.
“With the launch of Stelo, we are defining a brand new category and once again setting the gold standard for how people can easily manage their health,” said Jake Leach, executive vp and chief operating officer at Dexcom. “Now millions more people will have 24/7 access to easy-to-understand glucose data that can help them manage their daily lives and support behavioral changes.”
Dexcom said using its continuous glucose monitors alone or together with other diabetes or weight management tools might help people understand how different foods or activities affect their glucose levels.
When Dexcom announced the launch of Stelo earlier this summer, industry analysts recognized the chance to tap right into a growing market of users beyond diabetes patients. Part of this untapped group could also be resulting from greater awareness of metabolic health and disorders, in addition to the recognition of GLP-1 weight reduction drugs corresponding to Ozempic and Wegovy.
“Dexcom glucose biosensors are an essential and proven tool for diabetes management – they deliver strong clinical outcomes regardless of medication use and may even slow the progression of diabetes,” said Thomas Grace, PhD, director of clinical advocacy and outcomes at Dexcom. “In a world where the use of GLP-1 is becoming more common, glucose biosensors like Stelo can help make these medications more effective.”
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