Partnering with Ascensia Diabetes Care Canada, Max Domi sheds light on diabetes management with the new CONTOUR^® NEXT ONE blood glucose meter and App System

TORONTO, Aug. 29, 2017 /CNW/ - Ascensia Diabetes Care Canada, in partnership with professional hockey player Max Domi, today announced the launch of the Light it Up campaign, designed to raise awareness of the new CONTOUR^® NEXT ONE blood glucose meter and App system and help Canadians better manage their diabetes. For the third consecutive year, Domi is working with Ascensia to share his incredible story, so that it can inspire and educate Canadians about living with diabetes.

"I have been living with diabetes for almost my entire life and thanks to my family, healthcare professionals and the right tools, I have never let diabetes stand in the way of crushing my goals," says Domi. "I want all Canadians - adults and kids – living with diabetes to feel empowered to take control and not let diabetes be a barrier to their success. Partnering with Ascensia has given me the opportunity to share my story and connect with individuals from all walks of life to make a difference."

As part of the Light it Up campaign, Domi made a surprise visit on August 24 to one of Diabetes Canada's D-Camps called Camp Discovery, a center located in London, ON and run by Diabetes Canada that is specifically designed for children living with diabetes, for some interactive activities, fun diabetes education and autograph signing. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) at the age of 12, Domi is active on and off the ice and is a passionate leader in the diabetes community, motivating Canadians with diabetes to achieve their dreams and live remarkable lives.

"We couldn't be happier to be part of the Light it Up campaign with Max," says Rick Blickstead, President and CEO, Diabetes Canada. "Having Max visit Camp Discovery was an amazing event for the young people and an unforgettable experience. We hope that having Max share his story will inspire them to feel confident about managing their diabetes and reaching for the stars."

There are more than eleven million Canadians living with diabetes or prediabetes and every three minutes another Canadian is diagnosed.¹  Chances are, diabetes affects you or someone close to you.

The launch of the CONTOUR^® NEXT ONE meter and CONTOUR^® Diabetes App, marks a new approach to diabetes management. The system features a wireless-enabled smart meter that links to a mobile device via Bluetooth^®. The intuitive CONTOUR^® Diabetes App collects, stores and analyzes patient blood sugar levels received from the meter. It also features smartLIGHT technology using coloured lights to quickly indicate if a reading is above, below or within target range to help individuals better manage their condition.

"When we designed the new CONTOUR^® NEXT ONE meter and app with smartLIGHT technology, we were inspired by Max and the many other Canadians living with diabetes," says Russ Newsome, Region Head of North America, Ascensia Diabetes Care. "He is a true champion for the cause and we are thrilled to continue our partnership and show how these intuitive tools can help all Canadians with diabetes get more insightful blood glucose results, without comprising ease of use and accuracy."

The CONTOUR® NEXT ONE meter results go beyond the minimum industry accuracy standards² and is the most accurate system developed by Ascensia Diabetes Care. The captured blood glucose results can be easily reviewed and shared effortlessly with healthcare professionals online; helping patients make more informed decisions and create better management plans.

To supplement the Light it Up campaign, Ascensia will also be working with regional spokespeople living with diabetes to share their story and educate Canadians across the country. To watch the Light it Up campaign video for the CONTOUR® NEXT ONE meter, please visit youtube.com/watch?v=oIdzVU-9ZoQ.

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¹ http://www.diabetes.ca/about-diabetes/types-of-diabetes

² Current regulations based on Health Canada recognized ISO 15197:2013 standard requires results within ±15% range, specifically: ≥95% of results must fall within ±0.83 mmol/L for blood glucose concentrations <5.55 mmol/L and within ±15% for blood glucose concentrations ≥5.55 mmol/L.

About Ascensia Diabetes Care

Ascensia Diabetes Care is a global specialist diabetes care company, dedicated to helping people living with diabetes. Our mission is to empower people living with diabetes through innovative solutions that simplify and improve their lives. We use our innovation and specialist expertise in diabetes to develop high quality solutions and tools that make a positive, daily difference for people with diabetes.

Home to the world renowned CONTOUR™ portfolio of blood glucose monitoring systems, our products combine advanced technology with user-friendly functionality that help people with diabetes to manage their condition. We are committed to continued research, innovation and development of new products and solutions. As a trusted partner in the diabetes community, we collaborate closely with healthcare professionals and other partners to ensure our products meet the highest standards of accuracy, precision and reliability, and that we conduct our business compliantly and with integrity.

Ascensia Diabetes Care was established in 2016 through the sale of Bayer Diabetes Care to Panasonic Healthcare Holdings Co., Ltd. Ascensia Diabetes Care products are sold in more than 125 countries. Ascensia Diabetes Care has around 1,700 employees and operations in 33 countries.

For further information, please visit the Ascensia Diabetes Care website at: www.contournextone.ca

• MAVIRET is the first and only 8-week, pan-genotypic treatment for hepatitis C patients without cirrhosis and who are new to treatment^*1
• The approval is supported by a 97 percent (n=639/657) cure^** rate across GT1-6 patients without cirrhosis and who are new to treatment²
• MAVIRET is the only pan-genotypic treatment approved for use in patients across all stages of chronic kidney disease

MONTREAL, Aug. 17, 2017 /CNW/ - AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), a global biopharmaceutical company, today announced that Health Canada has granted approval for MAVIRET™ (glecaprevir/pibrentasvir tablets), a once-daily, ribavirin-free treatment for adults with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection across all major genotypes (GT1-6). MAVIRET is the only 8-week, pan-genotypic treatment for patients without cirrhosis and who are new to treatment,^* who make up a large portion of HCV patients in Canada.

"Despite recent advances in HCV treatment, physicians still face challenges treating patients with less common genotypes and those with other complicating health conditions," said Dr. Morris Sherman, MD, FRCPC, Chairperson, Canadian Liver Foundation. "In order to eliminate hepatitis C in Canada, we need to identify all those living with the virus and have effective treatment options for everyone. This new therapy provides another tool for physicians to expand treatment to a greater number of patients while at the same time shortening the duration which may lead to cost savings for the health care system."

MAVIRET is also approved for use in patients with specific treatment challenges, including those with compensated cirrhosis across all major genotypes, and those who previously had limited treatment options, such as patients with severe chronic kidney disease (CKD), those GT1 patients not previously cured with certain direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment, and those with GT3 chronic HCV infection.²MAVIRET is the only pan-genotypic treatment approved for use in patients across all stages of CKD.²

"With the approval of MAVIRET, we are proud to bring the hope of a new cure to people living with hepatitis C in Canada, reflecting AbbVie's dedication to addressing critical unmet needs for patients," said Stéphane Lassignardie, General Manager, AbbVie Canada. "MAVIRET is designed to deliver a virologic cure for most HCV patients including those with specific treatment challenges. AbbVie will continue to work with local health authorities and stakeholders across Canada to get our treatment to as many patients as possible."

The efficacy and safety of MAVIRET was evaluated in nine Phase 2-3 clinical trials, in over 2,300 patients with genotype 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 HCV infection and with compensated liver disease (with or without cirrhosis).

Approximately 300,000 Canadians are infected with hepatitis C.³ In 2012 alone, more than 10,000 new cases of hepatitis C were reported, but 40 percent of patients are estimated to be living unaware of their disease.⁴ GT1 is the most common genotype in Canada and GT3 is the most difficult to treat.^3,5 Over time chronic hepatitis C can lead to chronic liver diseases, with a risk of developing cirrhosis of up to 30 percent within 20 years⁶ of infection. Additionally, HCV is common among people with severe CKD, and some of these patients previously did not have a DAA-based treatment option.⁷

With 8 weeks of treatment, 97 percent (n= 639/657) of GT1-6 patients without cirrhosis and who were new to treatment achieved a virologic cure.¹ These high cure rates were achieved in patients with varied patient and viral characteristics and including those with CKD.² Additionally, 97.5 percent (n=274/281) of patients with compensated cirrhosis achieved a virologic cure with the recommended duration of treatment, including patients with CKD.² In registrational studies for MAVIRET, less than 0.1 percent of patients permanently discontinued treatment due to adverse reactions.² The most commonly reported adverse reactions (incidence greater than or equal to 10 percent) were headache and fatigue.²

"In an extensive clinical trial program, patients achieved high cure rates with MAVIRET regardless of genotype, fibrosis score, viral load, and even in patients with resistant virus strains and those with chronic kidney disease," said Dr. Magdy Elkhashab, Gastroenterologist/Hepatologist, Director of the Toronto Liver Centre. "In clinical practice, MAVIRET has the potential to simplify treatment decisions for physicians, offering, in one therapy, a cure for the majority of HCV patients and cutting out pre-testing before treatment initiation."

MAVIRET combines two new, potent direct-acting antivirals that target and inhibit proteins essential for the replication of the hepatitis C virus.² The presence of most genotypes or baseline mutations that are commonly associated with resistance have been shown to have no relevant impact on efficacy.²

Canadians prescribed MAVIRET will have the opportunity to be enrolled in AbbVie Care, AbbVie's signature patient support program designed to provide a wide range of services including reimbursement assistance, education and ongoing disease management support. AbbVie Care will support people living with HCV throughout their treatment journey to achieve high cure rates in the real world.

Approval of MAVIRET followed Health Canada's Priority Review process, which is granted to new medicines intended for patients with a life-threatening disease where there is no existing treatment with the same profile or where the new product represents a significant improvement in the benefit/risk profile over existing products.⁸ AbbVie's investigational, pan-genotypic regimen was also recently approved by the European Commission and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

About MAVIRET™
MAVIRET™ is approved in Canada for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in adults across all major genotypes (GT1-6).² MAVIRET is a new, pan-genotypic, once-daily, ribavirin-free treatment that combines glecaprevir (100 mg), an NS3/4A protease inhibitor, and pibrentasvir (40 mg), an NS5A inhibitor, dosed once-daily as three oral tablets.²

MAVIRET is an 8-week, pan-genotypic virologic cure^** for use in patients without cirrhosis and who are new to treatment,^*  such patients comprising the majority of people living with HCV.¹ MAVIRET is also approved as a treatment for patients with specific treatment challenges, including those with compensated cirrhosis across all major genotypes, and those who previously had limited treatment options, such as patients with severe chronic kidney disease (CKD) and those with genotype 3 infection.² It is the only pan-genotypic treatment approved for use in patients across all stages of CKD.²

Glecaprevir (GLE) was discovered during the ongoing collaboration between AbbVie and Enanta Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ENTA) for HCV protease inhibitors and regimens that include protease inhibitors.

*Patients without cirrhosis and new to treatment with DAAs [either treatment-naive or not cured with previous IFN-based treatments ([peg]IFN +/- RBV or SOF/RBV +/- pegIFN)].
**Patients who achieve a sustained virologic response at 12 weeks post treatment (SVR₁₂) are considered cured of hepatitis C. 

About AbbVie
AbbVie is a global, research-driven biopharmaceutical company committed to developing innovative advanced therapies for some of the world's most complex and critical conditions. The company's mission is to use its expertise, dedicated people and unique approach to innovation to markedly improve treatments across four primary therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, virology and neuroscience.  In more than 75 countries, AbbVie employees are working every day to advance health solutions for people around the world. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.ca and www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvieCanada and @abbvie on Twitter or view careers on our Facebook or LinkedIn page.

¹ Decisions Resources Group. Hepatitis C virus: disease landscape & forecast 2016. January 2017.
² MAVIRET (glecaprevir/pibrentasvir tablets) Product Monograph. Date of Preparation: August 16, 2017.
³ Messina, JP et al. "The global distribution of HCV genotypes." Hepatology, 2015; 61: 77–87. Supporting information hep27259-sup-0001-suppinfo.pdf. Accessed August, 2017.
⁴ Hepatitis C: Get the Facts. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/poster-hepatitis-c-get-facts.html. Accessed August, 2017.
⁵ Wyles, D et al. SURVEYOR-II, Part 3: Efficacy and Safety of ABT-493/ABT-530 in Patients with Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 3 Infection with Prior Treatment Experience and/or Cirrhosis. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) in Boston, US on November 11-15, 2016.
⁶ Hepatitis C Fact Sheet. World Health Organization. World Health Organization, July 2017. Web. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs164/en/. Accessed August, 2017.
⁷ Fabrizi F, Poordad FF, Martin P. Hepatitis C infection in the patient with end stage renal disease. Hepatology. 2002;36(1):3-10.
⁸ Priority Review of Drug Submissions. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/drug-products/fact-sheets/priority-review-drug-submissions-therapeutic-products.html. Accessed August, 2017.