Dexcom?

If J&J can get it on the cheap, they will. Their wallet is a bit tighter, they just dropped like $14B on a bid to buy Pfizers consumer health business.

 

JNJ could buy DXCM for $500million or less!!!!

 

The question is at what price do we buy Dexcom stock?
Have they released Q-2 earnings yet?

 

Not everyone is suitable for a pump, I for one like the sensor idea w/o the pump......

 

The sensor augmented pump has been a hard sell with the cost of the transmitter. Many people thought the insurance would cover that part of the system and now that people are finding out that it is out of their own pocket - things have slowed. It not just the initial cost but the ongoing cost of the sensors. Dexcom has the same issue to deal with. If they dont get bought then they better do something about the price of those sensors

 

The real issue with Dexcom or ANY CGMS device is this:

When will it be covered by insurance?

I encourage you to take a look at what Medicare and the other insurance companies are doing as far as covering. Medicare: not until 2008, after additional studies. How many insurance companies do you know of that follow what Medicare does?

CGMS systems are great for trending, but the technology is a long time away from replacing the accuracy of glucose monitors. Until it is consistently covered my insurance, it's going to be an option only for those that can afford to pay for it completely out of pocket.

 

Where did you learn that Medicare will not cover this until 2008? And, as far as the "accuracy of glucose monitors," you need to know that not only are sensors accurate, but trending is far superior to a glucose stick. One finger stick tells you where you are at one second in time. If you took that finger stick 5 minutes earlier and 5 minutes later, you would have 3 different readings unless you were in a steady state. Since people don't do that, they are making decisions blindly. With trending, they know where they are heading and can treat accordingly. Why not make minor adjustments along the way to prevent highs and lows rather than always treating retrospectively? Trending can really help reduce the wide swings. It will take some adjustment in thinking, but once people try it, they will never go back to finger sticks alone. It is kind of like the jump from urine testing to finger sticks. And if they are MDI patients, the pump/sensor combo is unbeatable!

 

Go to jdrf.org

You will find an article dated 9/5/06 called Panel: glucose monitor requires study.

I also have a few friends who have been part of studies, and I have been part of the Dexcom study. I agree, the device is great for trending. However, it's been way off, by as much as 60 points, when I have double checked with my monitor. The technology is not there to totally replace blood glucose monitors. They aren't accurate enough to bolus without doing a finger stick to confirm - both MiniMed and Dexcom say that!

 

There was an MCAC meeting in August. However, they were primarily concerned with type 2 patients since the majority of their recipients are type 2. I don't think this meeting was a good indicator for whether private insurance will cover CGMS for insulin dependent diabetics, the target market for Dexcom, et al. They didn't seem to understand the technology, as evidenced by the panel questions. Go check it out. Some panelists were somewhat confident that the effectiveness of the CGMS can best be assessed by a person's weight (among other valid items such as A1C). Obviously, it would have been nice to have Medicare on board from the beginning but I don't think this is reason to be pessimistic about reimbursement.

 

It IS significant. Many insurance companies follow what Medicare does. When I asked my doctor about continuing on the Dexcom after the study, he said that this press release from Medicare meant that there would probably be a delay in my own insurance.

It sucks, but sometimes that's the way it is. I think CGMS is great for trending. I had suspected I was having nightime lows but didn't know until I went on Dexcom. I always check with my glucose monitor before I make adjustments, because there have been some significant differences. So what I'm saying is that 1. the technology isn't there to replace finger checks yet, and 2. it may be a while until any CGMS system is consistently covered by insurance companies.

It really sucks for all the patients on the Medtronic pump because they were expecting coverage of the CGMS by the end of the year.

 

Medtronic always says they are expecting something months before they actually expect it. Anyone in upper management knew it would not be until the earliest mid term next year - and even that will probably be only with certain prerequisites like severe hypoglycemic events. But it will get there

 

Doesn't that just piss off physicians and patients - promising something you can't deliver? I have no idea why more people aren't using Animas or Deltec pumps - after so many promises, I just got tired of Medtronic and went with Animas. I almost punched the rep who tried to tell me I was not giving myself the best possible health because I wasn't getting a Paradigm.

 

Medtronic definitely gets away with promosing the future far in advance. There are alternative choices being brought to the attn of the healthcare providers each year. I think ultimately when the pumps finally really launches and the transmitters go out to the pts - medtronics over promising is going to come to a boil. Its a shame really because instead of launching the latest sensor augmented pump as a step in the right direction - it is being presented like the holy grail...which it has it's limitations - just like anything that is new. So there are going to be alot of disappointed people out there -not to mention fustrated.

 

JNJ will buy DXCM IN 2007!!!!
Buy some dxcm stock and make some $$$$$$!!!!!!

 

I hear there is a mass exodus going on since begining of January... I say the stock will hit the gutter and then maybe a buyout.

 

Can anyone currently working at Dexcom speak to the work environment? How is the compensation and bonus? Thanks for the info.

 

Wow - it's 2010 and no one has bought Dexcom yet.

Insurance does cover the device

Abbott is off the market (again)

Great company to work for.

I feel bad for all the haters out there - you missed the mark.

 

What mark was that? the fact that Dexcom has yet to turn a profit...
How is DoubleDay doing?

 

I did not post the remark regarding the "mark" but I would venture to guess that anyone that did not jump at the opportunity to work for Dexcom missed the mark. Just because Dexcom has yet to be profitable does not mean the reps are not making bank!

Doubleday is a douche!