New continuous glucose monitor available on prescription
Following a deal with the manufacturer of Dexcom One, patients with type 1 diabetes in England are now eligible for continuous glucose monitors (CGMs). Until recently, the only CGMs widely available on prescription were Flash devices.
Both Flash and CGM involve wearing a small sensor on the skin that continuously monitors blood sugar levels via a mobile phone app. Flash 1 and 2 involve scanning the sensor with a mobile phone to see blood sugar levels, whereas CGM displays that information automatically on the patient's phone.
Other CGM devices are available on the NHS, but only via specific funding routes that can be time-consuming and difficult for clinicians to navigate. When a device is available on prescription, it is much easier for healthcare professionals to provide access. The new agreement gives patients more options.
The agreement comes after the NHS surpassed its initial Long Term Plan target of ensuring 20% of people with type 1 diabetes had access to flash monitors by March 2021 ahead of schedule, with recent data showing nearly three-fifths already have access.
The technology's wider adoption will help diabetes patients better manage their condition, reducing hospitalisations and associated diabetic illnesses and, as a result, relieve pressure on the NHS.
First bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine approved by UK medicines regulator
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved an updated COVID-19 vaccine made by Moderna that targets two coronavirus variants (known as a ‘bivalent’ vaccine) for adult booster doses after it was determined to meet the UK regulator's standards of safety, quality and effectiveness.
The Commission on Human Medicines, an independent, scientific advisory body to the government, carefully reviewed the available data before endorsing the decision to approve this booster vaccine in the UK.
The ‘Spikevax bivalent Original/Omicron’ booster vaccine contains 25 micrograms of the original virus strain from 2020 plus another 25 micrograms of the Omicron virus strain in each dosage.
Safety monitoring showed that the side effects observed were the same as those seen for the original Moderna booster dose and were typically mild and self-resolving, and no serious safety concerns were identified.
Dr June Raine, MHRA Chief Executive said: ‘I am pleased to announce the approval of the Moderna bivalent booster vaccine, which was found in the clinical trial to provide a strong immune response against the Omicron BA.1 variant as well as the original 2020 strain. The first generation of COVID-19 vaccines being used in the UK continue to provide important protection against the disease and save lives. What this bivalent vaccine gives us is a sharpened tool in our armoury to help protect us against this disease as the virus continues to evolve.
‘We have in place a comprehensive safety surveillance strategy for monitoring the safety of all UK-approved COVID-19 vaccines and this will include the vaccine approved today.’