Brian Hansen Appointed President of CGM at Ascensia Diabetes Care

PHC Holdings Corporation, parent company of Ascensia Diabetes Care, has welcomed a new member to its C-Suite team.

The firm has named Brian Hansen as president of CGM (continuous glucose monitoring) at Ascensia Diabetes Care, a newly-created position. Ascensia is the exclusive global distributor of the Eversense E3 CGM system developed and manufactured by Senseonics Holdings Inc.

“Our commercialization of Eversense is building momentum as we work to drive more and more awareness of the unique benefits of Eversense. We look forward to welcoming Brian to our motivated and passionate team, and expect his wealth of experience delivering breakthrough diabetes devices will help us to unleash Eversense’s full commercial potential,” Ascensia President Robert Schumm said. Schumm will continue in his current tole while shifting focus to the company’s Blood Glucose Monitoring business. 
 
Hansen will oversee the global commercialization and growth of the Eversense CGM, currently available in the United States and select European markets. Eversense’s CGM reportedly is the industry’s first and only fully implantable CGM system and  continuously measures glucose levels for up to six months, compared to one or two weeks with most CGM systems. Besides improved longevity, this next-generation system also offers people with diabetes such features as a removable smart transmitter,¹ discreet on-body vibe alerts, accuracy,² and an intuitive smartphone app.

“We are thrilled that Ascensia has built out a dedicated CGM arm to drive patient and provider adoption of Eversense. This is a testament to our partnership and the ongoing collaboration between PHCHD, Ascensia, and Senseonics,” Senseonics CEO Tim Goodnow stated. “We look forward to working with Brian and leveraging his extensive industry experience to catalyze the next phase of growth for Eversense. Together our top priority will be evaluating and optimizing the strategy to deliver the benefits of Eversense to the most patients globally as we work to advance the 365-day system to the market.”
 
Hansen previously served as chief commercial officer for Tandem Diabetes Care, where he helped increase patient utilization of Tandem products in the insulin pump market. He has built a reputation for launching innovative products and overcoming commercial challenges with complex medical and regulatory landscapes. Previously, Hansen also held leadership positions at Adaptive Biotechnologies, Genoptix, Gen Probe, and Thermo Fisher Scientific. He holds a number of advisory board positions, including for Spotlight-AQ, Luminoah, and the University of Missouri.
 
“Eversense is an essential part of both Ascensia’s commitment to providing high-quality and life-enhancing products and PHC Group’s global business strategy,” PHCHD Chief Operating Officer Koichiro Sato said. “Brian is ideally suited to lead our CGM business and enable us to realize the full potential of Eversense in the CGM market.”
 
PHC Holdings Corporation is a global healthcare company whose subsidiaries include PHC Corporation, Ascensia Diabetes Care Holdings AG, Epredia Holdings Ltd., LSI Medience Corporation, Mediford Corporation, and Wemex. Together, these companies develop, manufacture, sell and service solutions across diabetes management, healthcare solutions, life sciences, and diagnostics. PHC Group’s consolidated net sales in FY2022 were JPY 356.4 billion with global distribution of products and services in more than 125 countries.
 
Senseonics Holdings develops and manufactures glucose monitoring products. Senseonics’ CGM systems, Eversense, Eversense XL and Eversense E3 include a small sensor inserted completely under the skin that communicates with a smart transmitter worn over the sensor. The glucose data are automatically sent every five minutes to a mobile app on the user’s smartphone. The Eversense E3 CGM System is indicated for continually measuring glucose levels for up to 180 days in persons with diabetes age 18 and older. The system is indicated for use to replace fingerstick blood glucose (BG) measurements for diabetes treatment decisions. Fingerstick BG measurements are still required for calibration primarily one time a day after day 21, and when symptoms do not match CGM information or when taking medications of the tetracycline class. The sensor insertion and removal procedures are performed by a healthcare provider. 
 
Ascensia Diabetes Care is a global company developing diabetes solutions, with its CONTOUR portfolio of BGM systems. It also is the exclusive global distribution partner for the Eversense CGM Systems from Senseonics. These products combine advanced technology with user-friendly functionality to help people with diabetes manage their condition. Ascensia is a member of PHC Group and was established in 2016 through the acquisition of Bayer Diabetes Care by PHC Holdings Corporation. Ascensia products are sold in more than 100 countries; the company employs around 1,300 people and maintains operations in 31 countries. 

References
¹ There is no glucose data generated when the transmitter is removed.
² Garg S. et al. Evaluation of Accuracy and Safety of the Next-Generation Up to 180-Day Long-Term Implantable Eversense Continuous Glucose Monitoring System: The PROMISE Study. Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics 2021; 24(2): 1-9.DOI: 10.1089/dia.2021.0182