Patients Living With Diabetes Voice Eagerness for ‘Finger-Prick’ Alternative in Global Glucose Monitoring Survey

Global results show 90% of patients are in favor of a saliva-based glucose test

NEW YORK, June 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GBS Inc. (Nasdaq: GBS), a life sciences company developing non-invasive, real-time diagnostic testing for patients and their primary health practitioners at point-of-care, today announced survey results from more than 300 patients globally as part of its development and go-to-market strategy.

As GBS is advancing to clinical trials of its saliva glucose biosensor, it conducted a global voice of customer survey of diabetes patients to verify the desirability, discuss the applications in daily life and review the product features of its Saliva Glucose Biosensor. The comprehensive global survey featuring more than 300 patients worldwide living with diabetes revealed strong support for a non-invasive alternative to current Standards of Care (SOC) in glucose monitoring.

In all target markets, 90% of patients responded positively to the Biosensor Platform. 7 out of 10 patients were “seriously interested” in purchasing the product when it’s released, and 3 out of 10 wanted to be placed on the waiting list ahead of release. While patients in the U.S. indicated the price of a pain-free alternative to current glucose monitoring would play a role in determining their decision to upgrade to a new device, patients in China indicated price was not an issue, as long as the product was accurate and reliable.

All devices currently available to monitor glucose levels require patients to pierce their skin and fall into three main categories:

• Self-monitoring blood glucose (SMBG) devices, where people prick their finger up to 10 times per day for testing.
• Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices, where glucose levels in fluid surrounding body cells (interstitial fluid) are automatically tested with a sensor inserted under the skin and is accompanied by finger-pricking to test blood glucose when required.
• Flash glucose monitoring (FGM) devices, where glucose levels in interstitial fluid are monitored with a sensor inserted on a patient’s upper arm and a separate touchscreen reader device provides analysis, however, finger-pricking is required to test blood glucose when needed.
  

The Saliva Glucose Biosensor is the first innovation to be developed from the Biosensor Platform and is currently being developed by GBS as a point-of-care test intended to provide patients a favorable solution to finger-prick blood glucose testing when monitoring diabetes. This alternative test offers a pain-free option to current testing methods by using an organic thin film transistor, incorporating Glucose Oxidase (GOX) as the recognition element to initiate an electrochemical reaction that produces an electrical signal to display glucose measurements in real-time on an app or dedicated device.

“Diabetes is a global chronic health issue with more than 400 million people in the world living with this disease, with that figure expected to increase to 700 million by 2045,” GBS Chief Executive Officer Harry Simeonidis said.

“People living with diabetes need to feel confident and comfortable using a glucose monitoring device to help manage and supplement their medication administration. Having a pain-free alternative to finger-pricking will increase the number of patients regularly testing, and thus allowing them to easily manage their health with minimal impact to their lifestyle. In 2019 an estimated 1.5 million deaths were directly caused by diabetes so it is imperative people living with this disease regularly monitor and manage their glucose levels.”

“Our mission is to create simple to use, life-changing diagnostics that can be put into the hands of people who need them the most, like patients and healthcare providers.”

Chief Executive Officer of The iQ Group Global Group, Dr. George Syrmalis added, “Since AMES director, Anton Clemens, invented and put to market the first self-testing blood glucose meter in 1971, we have seen incremental innovations pertaining more to accuracy, precision, and usability features. However, we have not seen a shift from the painful invasive testing that would increase blood glucose testing compliance and make it painless,” Dr. Syrmalis said.

“Our Biosensor technology introduces the first exponential innovation in self glucose monitoring since 1971, enabling patients to monitor glucose in saliva, hence resulting in greater compliance with glucose monitoring and better glucose level control. This represents a fundamental diagnostic paradigm shift, changing the way diabetic patients monitor their glucose.”

GBS intends to leverage this global survey data as part of its development and commercialization strategy once approved by healthcare regulatory agencies in the United States, Europe and Asia.

About GBS Inc.        
GBS Inc. is a life sciences company developing non-invasive, real-time monitoring and diagnostic tests for patients and their primary health practitioners. With the world-first Biosensor Platform, GBS Inc. is developing and launching diagnostic tests urgently needed to help people living with diabetes.

About The iQ Group Global
The iQ Group Global is a bioscience investment consortium that finds, funds and develops bioscience discoveries to create life-changing medical innovations.
Visit our website: theiqgroupglobal.com

For more information, please visit www.gbs.com or follow GBS Inc. on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements
Some of the statements in this release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation, GBS Inc.’s ability to develop and commercialize its diagnostic tests, realize commercial benefit from its partnerships and collaborations, and secure regulatory approvals, among others. Although GBS, Inc. believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date made, expectations may prove to have been materially different from the results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. GBS Inc. has attempted to identify forward-looking statements by terminology including ''believes,'' ''estimates,'' ''anticipates,'' ''expects,'' ''plans,'' ''projects,'' ''intends,'' ''potential,'' ''may,'' ''could,'' ''might,'' ''will,'' ''should,'' ''approximately'' or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, included in the Company’s public filings filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statements contained in this release speak only as of its date. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release to reflect events or circumstances occurring after its date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

For more information, please contact:

LifeSci Advisors, LLC
Jeremy Feffer - Managing Director
212-915-2568
jeremy@lifesciadvisors.com