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Lewes, January 31 2006 |
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New CoaguChek XS Device to Make Life Easier for Patients on Oral Anticoagulation Treatment
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New generation of device for coagulation monitoring will give patients more freedom and flexibility
Today, CoaguChek XS, a new coagulation monitoring system, has been launched in the UK by Roche Diagnostics. This new device has a user-friendly design and new safety features that will allow more patients on long-term oral anticoagulation therapy (OAT) to monitor their treatment at home.
It is estimated that around 950,000 people in the UK have conditions which require them to take OAT1 to prevent their blood clotting. The number of people needing their treatment monitored is expected to increase by a factor of five over the next decade2 . Self-testing at home gives patients more independence, allowing them to test anytime, anywhere, without the restrictions of having to go into a clinic. Self-testing also reduces the workload for doctor and nurses, freeing up valuable NHS resources.
The CoaguChek XS device requires only a single drop of blood from the patient's fingertip, to provide accurate, fast results, which are comparable to laboratory results3. This information allows patients to assess if their medication needs adjusting, to ensure they are protected from major complications such as thrombosis (excessive clotting) or bleeding (excessive anticoagulation).
John Chisholm is a patient on OAT and has been self-testing for several years, he says: "The new CoaguChek XS device will make a real difference to patients' lives. It's very small and
light, fitting in the palm of your hand.
The new device makes it easier to get the drop of blood onto the testing strip and you no longer have to keep the testing strips in the fridge. This new technology will give people on OAT the freedom to do things they couldn't before and the peace of mind that the results are reliable."
The CoaguChek XS system is the follow-up device to the CoaguChek S and encompasses a new built-in quality control system which continuously checks the device and the
testing strips to ensure that the results are correct before they are displayed.
Eve Knight of AntiCoagulation Europe, says: "For many patients, being involved in their treatment helps them feel more in control of their health and their lives. CoaguChek XS is very easy to use and will give patients more confidence and flexibility to test their blood on the move. For example, it will be invaluable to people who travel abroad."
About CoaguChek products
Since 1994, more than 150.000 patients around the globe on oral anticoagulant therapy have benefited from INR self-monitoring with instruments from the CoaguChek family. The CoaguChek XS system represents the third generation of coagulation monitoring devices from Roche Diagnostics for use at the Point of Care.
About oral anticoagulation therapy
People suffering from a disease such as atrial fibrillation or with a mechanical heart valve, need protection against thrombosis. They are therefore put on life-long anticoagulation therapy (coumarin derivatives = Vitamin K antagonists) in order to thin their blood. It is important to monitor the therapeutic effects of anticoagulant drugs as each patient reacts differently to them, and to keep potential risks at the lowest possible level. Scheduling the dose of anticoagulants in an optimal way can reduce the incidence of bleeding complications without increasing that of thromboembolic events.
Patients conventionally have to go to a laboratory or to their physician's, get a venous sample drawn and measured later on. This can take up to several hours or even a few days, potentially delaying the therapeutic decision (adjusting their dosage).
The CoaguChek XS system gives patients information about their level of anticoagulation directly on the spot and allows them with the help of their healthcare professional to adjust if necessary the doses of medication to a level which protects them from major complications such as thrombosis (excessive clotting) or bleeding (excessive anticoagulation).
Studies show that staying within this INR therapeutic range reduces significantly the risk of major complications4 .
About Roche and Roche Diagnostics
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world's leading research-focused healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. As a supplier of innovative products and services for the early detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people's health and quality of life. Roche is a world leader in diagnostics, the leading supplier of medicines for cancer and transplantation and a market leader in virology. In 2004 sales by the Pharmaceuticals Division totaled 21.7 billion Swiss francs, while the Diagnostics Division posted sales of 7.8 billion Swiss francs. Roche employs roughly 65,000 people in 150 countries and has R&D agreements and strategic alliances with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai.
Roche's Diagnostics Division offers a uniquely broad product portfolio and supplies a wide array of innovative testing products and services to researchers, physicians, patients, hospitals and laboratories world-wide.
For further information, please visit our websites
www.roche.com,
www.roche-diagnostics.com,
www.roche.co.uk,
www.roche-diagnostics.co.uk and
www.coaguchek.co.uk.
All mentioned trademarks are legally protected
1 Gardiner et al. Patient self-testing is a reliable and acceptable alternative to laboratory INR monitoring. British Journal of Haematology. 2004; 128: 242-247.
2 Fitzmaurice DA et al. Self-management of oral anticoagulation: randomised trial. BMJ. 2005; 331(7524): 1057.
3 Shiach CR et al. Reliability of point-of-care prothrombin time testing in a community clinic: a randomized crossover comparison with hospital laboratory testing , British Journal of Haematology. 2002; 119: 370-375.
4 e.g.: Comparing Self-Management of Oral Anticoagulant Therapy with Clinic Management; Annals of Internal Medicine. 2005;142:1-10; ACOA study
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