Roche Diagnostics Middle East presented a landmark launch event revealing Accu-Chek SmartGuide, a breakthrough Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) innovation that sets a new standard of care for diabetes management in the Middle East.

Held at The Obelisk in Dubai, the event gathered distinguished leaders, global experts, and health authorities including HE Dr. Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, the Assistant Undersecretary for the Public Health Sector,  who delivered a keynote speech as part of the launch event, H.E. Mr. Arthur Mattli, Ambassador of Switzerland to the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, Guido Sander, General Manager of Roche Diagnostics Middle East, and Dr. Abdullah Mohammed Arabe, Director of Diabetes Centers, Diabetic Foot Centres, and the Osteoporosis Department at the Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia.

In his keynote speech, HE Dr. Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, the Assistant Undersecretary for the Public Health Sector  said: “The UAE places health at the top of development priorities. As part of the UAE Health Vision 2030, we promote a culture of healthy living – aiming to raise awareness about diseases and their negative impact on individuals and our communities.

“Innovation in healthcare is not just about technology. It is about improving lives, preventing disease, and building a healthier and more resilient nation for future generations through partnership and evidence-based practice.”

Following H.E. Dr. Hussein Al Rand’s address, the launch event provided an in-depth exploration of how AI-enabled CGM technology is transforming personalised healthcare in the region, empowering patients to take greater control of their health. Panel discussions focussed on bridging the gap between AI as an emerging trend and its application in prediction of modern healthcare, highlighting its growing impact on disease management. The comprehensive programme featured keynote addresses, national initiatives, innovation showcases, and global insights into the future of diabetes.

With over 1.3 million adults in the United Arab Emirates living with diabetes1, the roll out of the Accu-Check CGM solution has the potential to transform diabetes care in the region. Diabetes is one of today’s most urgent healthcare challenges especially in the Middle East. If left unmanaged, diabetes can lead to secondary complications including cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, nerve damage, blindness, lower limb amputation and mental health issues2.

“Diabetes is not just about numbers, it affects every aspect of a patient’s life, from daily activities to emotional wellbeing,” said Guido Sander, General Manager of Roche Diagnostics Middle East. “Through our partnerships with the healthcare sector, and with the predictive capabilities of the Accu-Chek SmartGuide CGM, we are empowering patients to take control of their health, providing healthcare professionals with richer insights for proactive care, and helping shift diabetes management from reactive intervention to predictive, patient-centred solutions. By investing in innovation, Roche truly lives our vision of doing now what patients need next.”

Already available in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, this innovative solution is designed to help people living with diabetes anticipate glucose changes, reduce uncertainty, and manage their lives with greater confidence. Roche continues to make every effort to bring this life-changing innovation to patients across the wider Middle East.

“True innovation is not measured by its sophistication, but by its ability to give people back certainty, dignity, and the freedom to live well. In diabetes care - as in Swiss craftsmanship - precision, discipline, and long-term vision turn stability into progress and hope into solutions delivered in time.” said H.E. Mr. Arthur Mattli, Ambassador of Switzerland to the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

Since it was introduced, CGM technology has significantly improved diabetes care3, yet a significant number of people still have difficulty keeping their glucose in the right range when using current systems.4 Hypoglycemia is common amongst persons who have type 1 diabetes, with an annual incidence of severe hypoglycemia ranging from 3.3% to 13.5%.5

The Accu-Chek SmartGuide CGM harnesses artificial intelligence to forecast glucose levels over the next 30 minutes, 2 hours, and overnight, enabling patients to proactively manage their diabetes. By providing accurate, predictive insights, the solution encourages better self-care, reduces emotional burden, improves adherence to therapy, and lowers the risk of secondary complications such as cardiovascular disease, kidney damage, nerve damage, blindness, and mental health issues.

This innovation also supports healthcare professionals and systems by delivering consolidated patient data, allowing consultations to be more collaborative and solution-focused. With this improved access to predictive information, treatment plans can be personalised, adherence enhanced, and outcomes optimised,  ultimately reducing costs for individuals and society.

The Accu-Chek SmartGuide CGM solution includes a wireless, water-resistant sensor, worn on the back of the upper arm, and the apps where the users can see their current glucose levels and their future glucose development through predictive analytics. Every five minutes, the sensor sends glucose values measured in real-time to the app. The app then uses those glucose values and other optional information entered by the user such as food intake and insulin doses to detect patterns and predict future glucose levels. Supported by AI-trained algorithms, it provides key predictions of likely hypoglycaemia within 30 minutes and suggests what can be done to keep glucose levels in range, as well as general estimated predictions of glucose levels within two hours and during a defined 7-hours nighttime period.6

Clinical studies have demonstrated the new Roche CGM solution's high system accuracy, with an overall mean absolute relative difference (MARD) of 9.2% and 99.8% of measured glucose values falling within zones A and B on the Parkes Error Grid.7,8 The evaluation of the predictive capabilities showed that all advanced predictive features exceeded high performance requirements as e.g. accuracy, sensitivity and specificity.9

Roche’s Middle East launch underlines its commitment to transforming diabetes care, shifting the focus from reactive treatment to proactive health management. The company’s vision is to ensure patients can live longer, healthier, and more confident lives, while supporting healthcare systems in tackling the growing global diabetes challenge.

About the Accu-Chek SmartGuide CGM solution

Accu-Chek SmartGuide is a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) solution developed by Roche providing accurate7 real-time glucose readings and AI-enabled predictions for different timeframes10. The solution includes three elements: the Accu-Chek SmartGuide CGM sensor, the Accu-Chek SmartGuide App and the Accu-Chek SmartGuide Predict App. With an all-in-one applicator and 14-day wear time, Accu-Chek SmartGuide is designed for people living with diabetes, 18 years of age and older. It aims at empowering people living with diabetes to be prepared for the future development of glucose levels and take preventive action by making the appropriate therapy adjustments in good time.

The Accu-Chek SmartGuide solution seamlessly integrates with the Accu-Chek® Care platform, offering healthcare professionals (HCPs) access to comprehensive and accurate7 therapy-relevant data provided by the CGM solution. This integration allows HCPs to analyse together with their patients how lifestyle and therapy impact their glucose levels and make more informed decisions.

About Roche
Founded in 1896 in Basel, Switzerland, as one of the first industrial manufacturers of branded medicines, Roche has grown into the world’s largest biotechnology company and the global leader in in-vitro diagnostics. The company pursues scientific excellence to discover and develop medicines and diagnostics for improving and saving the lives of people around the world. We are a pioneer in personalised healthcare and want to further transform how healthcare is delivered to have an even greater impact. To provide the best care for each person we partner with many stakeholders and combine our strengths in Diagnostics and Pharma with data insights from the clinical practice.
 

For over 125 years, sustainability has been an integral part of Roche’s business. As a science-driven company, our greatest contribution to society is developing innovative medicines and diagnostics that help people live healthier lives. Roche is committed to the Science Based Targets initiative and the Sustainable Markets Initiative to achieve net zero by 2045. Roche Has 90 solutions listed on the WHO Essential Diagnostics List, including the Accu-Chek blood glucose monitor.

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] International Diabetes Federation. Diabetes Atlas. United Arab Emirates. Diabetes regional report 2000-2050. Available at: https://diabetesatlas.org/data-by-location/country/united-arab-emirates/

[2] Tomic D, Shaw JE, Magliano DJ. The burden and risks of emerging complications of diabetes mellitus. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2022 Sep;18(9):525-539. doi: 10.1038/s41574-022-00690-7. Epub 2022 Jun 6. PMID: 35668219; PMCID: PMC9169030.

[3] Carlson AL, et al., Diabetes Technol Ther., 2017 May;19(S2):S4-S11. doi: 10.1089/dia.2017.0024

[4] DeSalvo DJ, et al., Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology. 2023;17(2):322-328.

[5]  Nakhleh A, Shehadeh N. Hypoglycemia in diabetes: An update on pathophysiology, treatment, and prevention. World J Diabetes. 2021 Dec 15;12(12):2036-2049. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v12.i12.2036. PMID: 35047118; PMCID: PMC8696639.

[6] Glatzer et al., 2024. Journal of diabetes science and technology, 18(5), 1004–1008

[7] Mader, J. K., Waldenmaier, D., Mueller-Hoffmann, W., Mueller, K., Angstmann, M., Vogt, G., Rieger, C. C., Eichenlaub, M., Forst, T., & Freckmann, G. (2024). Performance of a Novel Continuous Glucose Monitoring Device in People With Diabetes. Journal of diabetes science and technology, 18(5), 1044–1051. https://doi.org/10.1177/19322968241267774

[8] Parkes Error Grid - a tool to evaluate the accuracy of glucose monitoring systems (BGM and CGM).

[9] Herrero, P., Andorrà, M., Babion, N., Bos, H., Koehler, M., Klopfenstein, Y., Leppäaho, E., Lustenberger, P., Peak, A., Ringemann, C., & Glatzer, T. (2024). Enhancing the Capabilities of Continuous Glucose Monitoring With a Predictive App. Journal of diabetes science and technology, 18(5), 1014–1026. https://doi.org/10.1177/19322968241267818.

[10]  Secrest AM et al. Characterizing sudden death and dead in bed syndrome in Type 1 diabetes: analysis from two childhood onset Type 1 diabetes registries. Diabet. Med. 2011. 28, 293–300.