Sanofi launches diabetes monitoring add-on for iPhone

Sanofi has announced the UK launch of a new blood glucose monitoring system that works with Apple's iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad devices.

The iBGStar is a one-inch attachment that plugs into the mobile devices and allows users analyse their own blood samples at their convenience, foregoing the need for traditional palm-sized monitoring systems.

Software supplied with the device displays results, trends and variations on the screen, accounting for factors such as carbohydrate intake, insulin injections and exercise.

The new device will be sold through UK Boots pharmacy retailers, with the launch coinciding with the introduction of the standalone BGStar device.

Dr Andrew Hockey, medical director for diabetes at Sanofi, described the device as a "huge step forward", adding that it "harnesses the power of the latest technology to empower people with diabetes to manage their condition on a day-to-day basis".

The iBGStar system has already been successfully introduced in several European markets, including Italy, Switzerland and the Netherlands.