Becton Dickinson dropping out of glucose monitoring market
October 9, 2006 by admin
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
Citing an increasingly competitive market, medical device producer Becton Dickinson & Co. announced that it will stop production of its blood glucose monitoring products for diabetics.
“We have concluded that our future outlook in an increasingly competitive market does not justify the levels of investment and additional resources necessary to continue,” said Chief Executive Edward J. Ludwig.
BD entered the blood sugar monitoring business in 2003 with the launch of the BD Logic Blood Glucose Monitor. The product has not had a trouble-free history. It was the subject of a patent dispute with Therasense Inc. and a voluntary product recall in 2004.
The company will continue selling the monitor until the end of 2007 in order to give its patients the opportunity to switch to new monitoring systems.
Now, I’m not financial whiz here, so can someone please explain to me how these companies make any money at all when every single diabetic I’ve talked to got their blood sugar monitor for free from their doctor? I’d say it’s not the monitors that make money, but those cursed test strips. Oh test strips, you are the bane of my existence. Curse you all!
(via MSN Money))
Although I am fairly new at this game (diagnosed 6/06), I was surprised to see that BD discontinued the Logic, especially when it was ranked #3 on Consumer Reports brief ratings list (Aug. 2005). Of course, this is my “good” meter, after I found that the cheapie that the clinic prescribed to me first was _last_ on the CR list! If anyone uses this meter, don’t forget to call all the competitors (Abbott, Lifescan, etc.); several are offering free meters & at least a few test trips to get you started on their product.