Roche Launches First AI Glucose Monitor in South Africa

Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced today that its Accu-Chek® SmartGuide continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) solution is now available in South Africa. This significant milestone means that people living with diabetes over the age of 18 can now benefit from the solution’s enhanced glucose monitoring and artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled predictive insights^1,2.     

Diabetes is one of today’s most urgent healthcare challenges. In South Africa, 4.2 million people are living with the condition as of 2024 ³. If left unmanaged, diabetes can lead to secondary complications, including cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, nerve damage, blindness, lower limb amputation and mental health issues ⁴. In a study conducted by GWI in partnership with Roche, 58% of people living with diabetes stated that they feel a mental burden associated with managing their diabetes.

Since it was introduced, CGM technology has significantly improved diabetes care ⁵, yet a significant number of people still have difficulty keeping their glucose in the right range when using current systems ⁶. Hypoglycemia is common amongst persons who have type 1 diabetes, with an annual incidence of severe hypoglycemia ranging from 3.3% to 13.5% ⁷.

“The Accu-Chek SmartGuide CGM solution is a significant step towards providing greater peace of mind for people living with diabetes, due to the AI-enabled predictive capabilities it offers. This empowers patients to take action before undesired events occur,” said Merilynn Steenkamp, General Manager, Southern Africa, Roche Diagnostics. “Our new Accu-Chek SmartGuide® CGM solution puts the power of prediction into the hands of people living with diabetes with its integrated AI-enabled algorithms that predict glucose levels for the next 2 hours as well as imminent and nocturnal hypoglycaemia. People with diabetes should have the freedom to plan the day ahead and get a good night’s sleep at the end of it all.”

Nighttime hypoglycemia can present a particular challenge for people with diabetes. Approximately 2-5% of deaths in people with type 1 diabetes under the age of 40 are due to episodes of very low glucose during the night ^8,9. The unpleasant symptoms and negative consequences of hypoglycemia can result in actual fear of hypoglycemia with possible significant implications for the diabetes management, metabolic control and subsequent health outcomes ¹⁰. 

he Accu-Chek SmartGuide® CGM solution uses AI-enabled algorithms to predict where an individual’s glucose levels are likely headed in the next 30 minutes, 2 hours, and even overnight. This means people with diabetes can move from a reactive to a proactive approach to their daily management, preparing for and managing potential episodes in advance, rather than waiting for alerts when they happen.

The Accu-Chek SmartGuide® CGM solution includes a wireless, water-resistant sensor, worn on the back of the upper arm, and the apps where 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 Accu-Chek SmartGuide app. The Accu-Chek SmartGuide® predict 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 as well as general estimated predictions of glucose levels within 2 hours and during a defined 7-hour nighttime period ¹¹. 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^{11, 12}. The evaluation of the predictive capabilities showed that all advanced predictive features exceeded high performance requirements as e.g. accuracy, sensitivity and specificity¹³. Roche is committed to bringing improved and proactive relief to diabetes management across South Africa with the immediate availability of the Accu-Chek SmartGuide® CGM solution.

References

[1] 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

[2] Simulation study, Data on file, Roche Diabetes Care GmbH, 2025.

[3] Ngassa Piotie P, Rheeder P. UP Expert Opinion: South Africa has more than 4 million people living with diabetes – many aren’t getting proper treatment. University of Pretoria Diabetes Research Centre News. 2024 Mar 11 [cited 2025 Oct 8]. Available from: https://www.up.ac.za/diabetes-research-centre/news/post_3214595-up-expert-opinion-south africa-has-more-than-4-million-people-living-with-diabetes-many-arent-getting-proper-treatment

[4] 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.

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

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

[7] 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.

[8] 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.

[9] Jones J et al. Dead in bed – A systematic review of overnight deaths in type 1 diabetes. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2022. 191:110042. 

[10] Wild, Diane et al. “A critical review of the literature on fear of hypoglycemia in diabetes: Implications for diabetes management and patient education.” Patient education and counseling vol. 68,1 (2007): 10-5. doi:10.1016/j.pec.2007.05.003

[11] Glatzer et al., 2024. Journal of diabetes science and technology, 18(5), 1004–1008. https://doi.org/10.1177/19322968241267765

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

[13] 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.