Glucose meter sales follow diabetes increase

Sales of glucose meters were slightly up over the holidays, reaching $67.7 million for the 12 weeks ended Dec. 30 across U.S. multi-outlets, according to SymphonyIRI Group data.

With a new diabetes diagnosis being made once every 21 seconds, coupled with the coming expansion of Medicaid requirements across at least some states, there will be a significant consumer demand for blood-glucose meters and the test strips that supply them for some time to come.

So it can't hurt having earned a "highest satisfaction" rating from J.D. Power and Associates' inaugural 2012 Blood-Glucose Meter Satisfaction Survey. That was a distinction earned by Roche Diagnostics' Accu-Chek meter, with Abbott Diabetes Care's Freestyle and Bayer Diabetes Care's Countour meters ranking No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.

Out of Roche's Accu-Chek brand family, Aviva Plus has been earning "highest satisfaction" at the register, generating $3.3 million across the fourth quarter of 2012, according to SymphonyIRI Group data.

The article above is part of the DSN Category Review Series. For the complete Diagnostics Sell-Through Report, including extensive charts, data and more analysis, click here.