Roche launches low-cost PT/INR home monitoring app

INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 26, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) today announced the launch of the CoaguChek XS mPOC app for use with the CoaguChek XS meter.  The new app makes the Bluetooth-enabled PT/INR reporting offered by CoaguChek Patient Services even more convenient and accessible by allowing patients to use their own iOS device (iPhone or iPad).  The app is available exclusively to patients who test PT/INR with the support of CoaguChek Patient Services.  Wireless-enabled patient self-testing with CoaguChek Patient Services enables HCPs to confidently monitor accurately-reported patient PT/INR data remotely, while further reducing time and effort involved for patients and often caregivers.

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Why convenience matters
More convenient testing should help patients adhere with their prescribed PT/INR testing frequency.  It has been proven that patients that adhere to their monitoring schedule spend more time in their therapeutic range, which results in lower incidence of stroke¹ or bleeding.²  From a test frequency standpoint, data shows that 50–60% of patients can be expected to remain in their target range if monitoring of INR occurs monthly, 77–85% if monitored weekly and up to 92% if monitored every three days.³  Patients who spend a high proportion of time (> 70%) in the therapeutic range achieve better clinical outcomes.^4,5

Evidence suggests that patients who have a strong connection with their healthcare professional adhere better to their anticoagulant therapy plan.³ The CoaguChek XS mPOC kit helps enhance the relationship between patients and their healthcare providers. Patients enjoy increased convenience through PT/INR self-testing and physicians can be more confident they can optimize treatment decisions effectively as they have access to accurate patient data in near real-time.

"As healthcare systems face continued pressure to deliver improved access to care at a lower cost, increased connectivity between HCPs and patients becomes even more important," said Jennifer Zinn, Senior Vice President of Point of Care, Roche Diagnostics. "This innovative solution also supports making patient self-testing a standard of care to monitor warfarin therapy."

Usual care or management of patients on warfarin therapy includes up to weekly visits to the lab or doctor's office for PT/INR testing - usually with a venipuncture (blood drawn from a vein) and 2-3 day wait for the lab results. The CoaguChek XS mPOC kit engages patients in their care with a simple finger stick and 60-second test with just a drop of blood giving patients the independence to continue their normal daily activities and quality of life while maintaining connections with their HCPs. The result is automatically communicated via Bluetooth to the CoaguChek mPOC app on the patient's iPhone or iPad which transmits the result to CoaguChek Link – an online PT/INR data management solution.⁶ The managing clinician can then use CoaguChek Link to access - and act on – the results.

For more information about the CoaguChek XS mPOC solution visit go.roche.com/mpoc.

More about the CoaguChek XS system
Since 1993, CoaguChek® systems from Roche have set the standard in point-of-care INR testing for patients on oral anticoagulant therapy– giving clinicians increased confidence in making critical treatment decisions.  CoaguChek is a proud market leader, with over 1 million CoaguChek XS meters in use around the world and over 250,000 CoaguChek XS PT test strips used per day.  Nine of the top 10 U.S. integrated health networks (IHNs) choose CoaguChek technology. ⁷

To learn more about the CoaguChek XS system, please visit www.coaguchek-usa.com.

More about the CoaguChek Patient Services
Since 2008, CoaguChek® Patient Services, an Independent Diagnostic Testing Facility, has offered support for patients who test from home and the healthcare professionals who manage their treatment.  In a 2012 survey, 93% CoaguChek Patient Services patients reported being satisfied or highly satisfied with the service and 92% said that testing at home had a positive impact on their quality of life. 

To learn more about the CoaguChek Patient Services, please visit www.coaguchekpatientservices.com.  

More about anticoagulant therapy
Millions of people worldwide are taking Vitamin K Antagonists (VKAs) such as Coumadin® and warfarin for a variety of indications or conditions, such as atrial fibrillation (AF), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), and the presence of a mechanical heart valve (MHV). To best monitor the efficacy of VKAs, the prothrombin time PT (INR) needs to be frequently measured. This test can be performed at home using a small drop of blood from a patient's fingertip. Compared with usual care or management in an anticoagulation clinic, patient self-testing has been shown to result in more time spent in the therapeutic range,^8-10 fewer very high or very low INR values,¹⁰ fewer thromboembolic events,^1,2 fewer major hemorrhages,² lower mortality,² improved patient quality of life¹¹ and better treatment satisfaction.¹¹

More about PT/INR
Taking the correct dose is crucial for effective anticoagulation treatment. The correct dose is established by measuring how long it takes blood to clot, and is called the prothrombin time (PT). The International Normalized Ratio (INR) is used to harmonize PT results from different test methods.  The proportion of time INR values are within the upper and lower target value is called Time in Therapeutic Range, or TTR. This is important because the more time patients are in range, the less chance of complications, such as blood clots or excessive bleeding.

About Roche
Roche is a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics focused on advancing science to improve people's lives.

Roche is the world's largest biotech company, with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and diseases of the central nervous system. Roche is also the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management. The combined strengths of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics under one roof have made Roche the leader in personalized healthcare – a strategy that aims to fit the right treatment to each patient in the best way possible.

Founded in 1896, Roche continues to search for better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and make a sustainable contribution to society. Twenty-nine medicines developed by Roche are included in the World Health Organization Model Lists of Essential Medicines, among them life-saving antibiotics, antimalarials and cancer medicines. Roche has been recognized as the Group Leader in sustainability within the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences Industry seven years in a row by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices.

The Roche Group, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is active in over 100 countries and in 2015 employed more than 91,700 people worldwide. In 2015, Roche invested CHF 9.3 billion in R&D and posted sales of CHF 48.1 billion. Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan. For more information, please visit www.roche.com.

All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law.

References
1. Heneghan C, Ward A, Perera R, et al. Self-monitoring of oral anticoagulation: systematic review and meta-analysis of individual patient data. Lancet. 2012;379:322-334.
2. Heneghan, C., Alonso-Coello, P., Garcia-Alamino, J.M., Perera, R., Meats, E., Glasziou, P. (2006). Self-monitoring of oral anticoagulation: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet 367, 404–411.
3. Khan TI, Kamali F, Kesteven P, Avery P, Wynne H. The value of education and self-monitoring in the management of warfarin therapy in older patients with unstable control of anticoagulation. Br J Haematol. 2004;126(4):557-654.
4. Gallagher, A.M., Setakis, E., Plumb, J.M., Clemens, A., van Staa, T.-P. (2011). Risks of stroke and mortality associated with suboptimal anticoagulation in atrial fibrillation patients. Thromb Haemost 106, 968–977.
5. Wan, Y., Heneghan, C., Perera, R., Roberts, N., Hollowell, J., Glasziou, P. et al. (2008). Anticoagulation control and prediction of adverse events in patients with atrial fibrillation: a systematic review. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 1, 84–91.
6. Internet availability required for wireless reporting
7. U.S. News and World Report. U.S. News Best Hospitals 2015-16; http://health.usnews.com/besthospitals; accessed August 23rd, 2016.
8. Bereznicki, L.R.E., Jackson, S.L., Peterson, G.M. (2013). Supervised patient self-testing of warfarin therapy using an online system. J Med Internet Res 15, e138.
9. Christensen, H., Lauterlein, J.-J., Sørensen, P.D., Petersen, E.R.B., Madsen, J.S., Brandslund, I. (2011). Home management of oral anticoagulation via telemedicine versus conventional hospital-based treatment. Telemed J E-Health Off J Am Telemed Assoc 17, 169–176.
10. Bussey, H.I., Bussey M., Bussey-Smith K.L., Frei, C.R. (2013). Evaluation of warfarin management with international normalized ratio self-testing and online remote monitoring and management plus low-dose vitamin k with genomic considerations: a pilot study. Pharmacotherapy 33, 1136–1146.
11. Matchar, D.B., Jacobson, A., Dolor, R., Edson, R., Uyeda, L., Phibbs, C.S., et al.; THINRS Executive Committee and Site Investigators. (2010). Effect of home testing of international normalized ratio on clinical events. N Engl J Med 363, 1608–1620.
12. Gardiner, C., Williams, K., Mackie, I.J., Machin, S.J., Cohen, H. (2005). Patient self-testing is a reliable and acceptable alternative to laboratory INR monitoring. Br J Haematol 128, 242–247.

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SOURCE Roche