Nemaura Medical (NSDQ:NMRD) announced today that it is planning to immediately repurpose its SugarBeat continuous glucose monitor (CGM) as a continuous temperature monitor (CTM) to help diagnose fevers in potential cases of COVID-19.
The Loughborough, England-based company said in a news release that its inbuilt temperature sensor is capable of continuously tracking body temperature through the skin, which can potentially help in the battle against coronavirus. Google’s Verily recently announced plans to develop a small body-worn temperature patch that transmits data to a phone application to notify users of fever and support the early diagnosis of viral infections.
Nemaura’s SugarBeat app, launched last month, is designed for glucose monitoring on smart devices and is set to be repurposed for temperature measurement to match with the SugarBeat patch, which is CE-marked in Europe and commercially available.
The company said it is considering its options to expedite the launch of its CTM, including potential partnerships and direct-to-consumer sales. It is also establishing the regulatory process for launching the repurposed platform in a number of areas around the world.
“We see a significant commercial opportunity to utilize our Beat platform technology specifically for CTM purposes with data being automatically sent by low energy Bluetooth to a mobile phone app from which it can then be reviewed by the user and/or sent to a family member or caregiver,” Nemaura CEO Dr. Faz Chowdhury said in the news release. “We believe that there are parallels between family members and caregivers remotely monitoring glucose fluctuations in a person, and monitoring fever caused by viral infections, providing a means of remote tracking and intervention. In the current climate, we see this as an opportunity to contribute to general wellbeing and patient management.”
Nemaura added that it believes there are other uses for its CTM, including tracking ovulation and for predicting and preventing diabetes-related foot complications that can lead to amputation if not detected early enough.
