Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Donald on September 1, 2011 at 2:50pm

I have the vice president in charge of freestyle navigator telephone # .
Her name is Heather Mason the phone # is 510-749-5400.
I called her today and got her secretary said some one would be getting in touch with me with some more info.
They still make this in Europe so It is the FDA that is holding the works up.
I got my phone call this morning. Let's Call and let our thoughts be heard!!!!!
Any thoughts on how to get to the FDA. about this matter.

Permalink Reply by MelissaBL on September 1, 2011 at 3:15pm

What I heard from people on the inside is that it's a legal issue regarding the manufacturing rights to Navigator. Abbott purchased the Freestyle brand from Therasense in 2004 and failed to obtain the rights to the Navigator (which had been in R&D since the mid-1990s), so they're in trouble stateside for something related to that and were no longer able to produce it legally. It might further involve the FDA - which took an inordinately long time to approve Navigator to begin with (several years), but the fault CLEARLY rests with Abbott's handling of the merger and not on the backs of the FDA.

That being said, I'm all for complaining.

Permalink Reply by fgiraffe on September 2, 2011 at 10:41am

I'm bummed, the Nav has been really great for me.

Not too thrilled about the current Dexcom from the web info. I sleep on my stomach and finding a "flat surface" on my round gut would be challenging. :-) I've always had the Nav sensor on my arm.

Plus: 2 calibrations a day with the Dex makes the 10-hour calibration time of the Nav seem convenient by comparison.

Permalink Reply by MaryMary on September 2, 2011 at 12:25pm

You don't have to wear the Dex on your stomach if you don't want to. Lots of people wear it on their arms. Actually, the calibrations on the Dex are much easier because you just do them at night and in the morning when you would be testing anyway. If you forget to enter one, no big deal because you never lose readings. My daughter was on the Navigator and we thought it was great. She has been on the Dex for over a year now and I wouldn't take the Navigator back. My son just got a Dex last week and is wearing it on his arm. I think it is more accurate on the abs, and that is the only place my daughter has worn hers. I'm sure you could put it on your abs, to the side if you wanted to. It is much smaller than the Navigator and far less of a pita in my opinion. Never a failed calibration, no stupid error codes, just simplicity. Right now my son is wearing both and might continue with the Navigator until it breaks, but he felt that he needed a back up plan because he doesn't feel his lows and cannot go without a CGM.

Permalink Reply by fgiraffe on September 2, 2011 at 12:40pm

Thanks, good to know arm mount is an option!

Permalink Reply by MaryMary on September 2, 2011 at 1:13pm

The two hour warm up time really is a big deal even though most people don't find the sensor super accurate till the second day. Since my son doesn't feel his lows, I will be happy knowing that he is not having one night out of every 5 with no readings. The Dex caught a low the first night and it was during the warm up time on the Navigator. We also almost always restart the sensor and get at least 10 days out of each one, usually 14. The Dex tape is much better and stays on much longer without bubbling up because it is cloth like and breathes. There is no way that either of them could have restarted the Navigator and kept it attached that long. You don't even have to disconnect to restart it, just push a couple of buttons and wait the two hours. You might want to take a look on the Dexcom group. There is a 4th generation product out in the UK also, so hopefully it will be here next year.

Permalink Reply by MelissaBL on September 4, 2011 at 12:22pm

There's a trick to improving the accuracy on Day 1 that my local Dex rep just told me about (I've been on Dex now for three weeks). She said that, unlike with Nav, Dex calibrates very well with a moving target and that if you can calibrate at the 2 hour mark, and then again when you think your next postprandial is at its highest and then again when you think you might be at your lowest (such as after a correction or 3 hours after a meal bolus), that you help Dex define its high and low parameters and improve the overall 7 day accuracy of the sensor.

I've been wearing Dex on my stomach and arms, but plan to use thighs and buttocks as well. I wore Nav ONLY on my arms, as I could never get the adhesive to stay on my belly for long.

Permalink Reply by MaryMary on September 5, 2011 at 7:37am

Thanks Melissa, I had read that before somewhere and will give it a try and certainly tell my son about it. He has been thinking that he needs to be stable for cals, like with the Navigator.

Permalink Reply by Jgos on September 2, 2011 at 4:27pm

I use the Nav in the UK - its still here. So I would love to help. I beleive that the Nav has better control than any other product. But to clarify this has to be with active type I. The only way to prove this ( And we all have the data) is the reduction in HBa1c !! We all know that. So Donald that is the way forward ?

Gos

Permalink Reply by John H on September 5, 2011 at 9:35am

Where do you buy your sensors from in the UK? I found a link that apparently said that Abbott sold them directly.
That doesn't match the US or Israel.
Include web links, if possible. Thanks

Permalink Reply by John H on September 6, 2011 at 2:28pm

Just what I needed now. Insurance problems.
I am trying to stock up on Navigator sensors while they are still available.
This year I am on a high deductible plan which should pay 80% after I meet my deductible (which I met months ago)
It should cover 80% either as pharmacy benefit or DME (no limit on either)
Well, my distributor came back to me and said that my insurer was going to pay exactly NOTHING.
So on to the fight. Problem is, I don' have long to get this fixed before they will be out of stock.

Aaaaahhhh!

Permalink Reply by Jgos on September 6, 2011 at 3:34pm

John

I am in the UK and very dependant on the Nav system. Can I help ?

Gos

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