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Bayer Diabetes Care is recalling test strips (sensors) that are used exclusively with the Contour TS Blood Glucose Meter. During a routine quality control monitoring Bayer Diabetes Care identified a manufacturing issue with defective devices from specific lots.

The defect could result in blood glucose readings with a positive bias that is outside of their product specifications and test results may demonstrate results 5-17% higher.

The recall is for the strips only and is unrelated in any way to the Contour TS meter itself. Also, the Contour TS test strip recall has no impact on the performance of strips used with other Bayer meters including the Ascensia Contour and Ascensia Breeze2 systems.

The affected Contour TS strips were produced during the initial manufacturing process on new manufacturing equipment. The cause of the problem has been identified and corrective actions have already been implemented, including incorporating additional quality control measures.

"The quality of our products and the results our customers receive are very important to Bayer and, as such, we are notifying regulatory authorities, healthcare professionals and customers in the countries where Contour TS is marketed in France, Austria, Turkey, Korea, Mexico, and predominantly through mail order channels in the United States," said Bayer in a prepared statement.

Healthcare providers, retailers, patients, and other customers who use the Contour TS are advised to check the lot number on the bottles of Contour TS strips and to contact Bayer Diabetes Care for information regarding return and replacement of strips.

The lot numbers can be found on the bottom of the box and on the side of the bottle containing the strips and affected lots begin with WK followed by the characters 7D, 7E, 7F, or 7G and then followed by a series of other numbers and letters. Only bottles of test strips with the characters 7D, 7E, 7F, or 7G in the third and fourth position in the sequence are affected.

Bottles with a lot number including 7J through 7M after WK are not affected and need not be returned.

Reference:

"Counter TS Test Strip Recall Issued After Bayer Diabetes Care Reports Manufacturing Issue," newsinferno.com, December 2007.