Dexcom and Nick Jonas Raise Their Voices for Diabetes Awareness

SAN DIEGO, June 11, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Dexcom, Inc., (NASDAQ: DXCM), a leader in continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) for patients with diabetes, announced today it has partnered with multi-talented recording artist and actor, Nick Jonas, who has type 1 diabetes, to raise awareness of the benefits of CGM for people with diabetes. Jonas will share his personal story and views on living with diabetes and his use of Dexcom technology to help him monitor his glucose levels and manage his diabetes while he pursues and lives his dream.

To view multimedia assets, please visit:  http://www.multimedianewscenter.com/dexcom/dexcom-media-portal

With approximately 29.1 million Americans living with diabetes, education on disease management is crucial to living with the condition day-to-day.¹ The growth of continuous glucose monitoring systems, like the Dexcom G4^® PLATINUM, has helped patients with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes understand valuable information about their glucose levels and trends, a key aspect to controlling the disease and staying healthy.

"When I was first diagnosed, I was scared that I would no longer be able to do what I love but I made a commitment to take control of my diabetes and not let it slow me down," said Nick Jonas. "The Dexcom CGM is an amazing step forward in the battle against diabetes and gives me the tools and confidence I need to feel in control so I can continue to follow my dreams."

Jonas was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 13 while on tour with his brothers. Rapid weight loss, fatigue and other symptoms led to a quick diagnosis of type 1 diabetes but Jonas was determined not to let it stand in the way of achieving his dreams. In collaborating with Dexcom, he hopes to spread awareness for CGM and provide encouragement for those impacted by diabetes to take control of the disease and continue to do the things they enjoy.

"We are thrilled to be collaborating with Nick Jonas on this educational campaign," stated Kevin Sayer, Chief Executive Officer of Dexcom. "As someone who has truly benefited from CGM, Nick's support in raising further awareness for management options and living life to the fullest with diabetes will augment our ongoing efforts to educate people about how they can best manage their diabetes. We believe Nick's story will help inspire those who struggle with this disease on a daily basis."

Continuous glucose monitoring is considered the most significant breakthrough in diabetes management in the past 40 years². The traditional standard-of-care for glucose (blood sugar) monitoring has been a finger stick meter. CGM augments the use of glucose meters for the management of diabetes. Meters are still required to calibrate CGMs and for guidance in making therapy and meal decisions. CGM is important because, in addition to providing the glucose level, it provides the direction and rate of glucose change with the push of a button and alerts users when glucose is too low or too high.

Diabetes affects 10% of the American population and is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States.² Approximately 1.25 million people have type 1 diabetes. With diabetes, the body cannot produce or use the hormone insulin effectively, causing a buildup of glucose, or sugar, in the blood. It is estimated that approximately 86 million Americans over the age of 20 years old are at risk for developing diabetes (primarily Type 2), largely due to obesity, physical inactivity and poor diet.² People with diabetes who take insulin must monitor their blood glucose levels frequently. Uncontrolled glucose can cause health complications and even death.^3,4

Recently, Dexcom announced the compatibility of the Apple Watch™ with its Dexcom G4® PLATINUM Continuous Glucose Monitoring System with Share™ allowing users to discreetly monitor their diabetes information straight from their wrist.  Customers can download the Dexcom Share2 and Follow apps to their iPhone for free from the App Store and on their Apple Watch™ through the Apple Watch App Store. In addition, the Dexcom Follow App for Android devices is now available for free on the Google Play store. For more information on Nick Jonas and Dexcom's collaboration, please visit www.dexcom.com/nick-jonas.

About Dexcom, Inc.

Dexcom, Inc., headquartered in San Diego, CA, is dedicated to helping people better manage their diabetes by providing exceptional continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) products and tools for adult and pediatric patients. The company transforms lives by helping people gain better control of their diabetes, so they can focus more on living than living with a disease.  With exceptional performance, patient comfort and lifestyle flexibility at the heart of its technology, users have consistently ranked Dexcom highest in customer satisfaction and loyalty.

The company's latest-generation CGM, the Dexcom G4® PLATINUM System with Share™, is the first FDA-approved CGM with remote mobile sharing capabilities, allowing patients to not only view their real-time glucose data via their smart device, but also share it with loved ones. With outstanding accuracy, the G4 PLATINUM CGM with Share is the only System approved for children as young as 2 years old and comes with the longest-wear sensor on the market. The Dexcom CGM features customizable alerts and alarms to warn patients of highs and lows and how quickly they may be happening. The company also offers Dexcom STUDIO™, an advanced reporting tool for users to identify their unique glucose patterns, while also discovering potential solutions to help them spend more time in their target range.

For more information on the Dexcom CGM, visit www.dexcom.com.

About Nick Jonas

Island Records Artist, Nick Jonas introduced himself as a fully formed solo artist on his hit self-titled debut, released in November 2014. The critically-acclaimed album includes double-platinum smash single and #1 U.S. radio hit, "Jealous" and his sultry second chart-climbing radio single, "Chains." Jonas attributes his album's darker overtones partially to the fact that while he was recording, he was also shooting the gritty television show 'Kingdom' -- a mixed martial arts drama that premiered on DirecTV's Audience Network last fall and was recently picked up for two additional seasons. Jonas recently earned two more high-profile roles, a guest starring role in Fox's upcoming horror-comedy series, 'Scream Queens' and a lead in the James Franco produced film, 'Goat'. Showing no signs of slowing down this year, the breakout solo powerhouse joined forces with west coast rapper-producer Sage the Gemini to release their summer collaboration, "Good Thing" and, in partnership with Island Records, Demi Lovato, and long-time manager, Phil Mcintyre, Jonas helped launch his own artist-centric record label, Safehouse Records. This fall, Jonas will embark on the NICK JONAS "LIVE IN CONCERT" TOUR, which kicks off September 6 in Hershey, PA. The tour will feature special guest Bebe Rexha and make stops in 19 cities across the U.S. and Canada with dates in New York City, Los Angeles, Toronto, Chicago and San Francisco with special guest. 

CONSUMER CONTACT:

Candace Disler, 973-650-7975 or [e-mail]

To view multimedia assets, please visit:  http://www.multimedianewscenter.com/dexcom/dexcom-media-portal

INVESTOR CONTACT:

Steven Pacelli, 858-200-0200 or [e-mail]

References

1. Diabetes.org (http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics/)
2. Clarke SF and Foster JR. A history of blood glucose meters and their role in self-monitoring of diabetes mellitus.
   Br J Biomed Sci. 2012;(3)2:83-93.
3. 2014 National Diabetes Statistics Report. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/statsreport14/national-diabetes-report-web.pdf Accessed March 31, 2015.
4. Hyperglycemia (High blood glucose). American Diabetes Association Web site. http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/blood-glucose-control/hyperglycemia.html. Updated August 5, 2013. Accessed December 3, 2013.
5. Hypoglycemia (Low blood glucose). American Diabetes Association Web site. http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/blood-glucose-control/hypoglycemia-low-blood.html. Updated July 16, 2013. Accessed December 3, 2013.

 

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dexcom-and-nick-jonas-raise-their-voices-for-diabetes-awareness-300097821.html

SOURCE Dexcom, Inc.

Copyright 2015 PR Newswire