Drug that delays onset of type 1 diabetes approved in England and Wales
Summary
England and Wales will offer a new drug called teplizumab on the NHS that can delay the start of type 1 diabetes by up to three years. This drug works by training the immune system to stop attacking the pancreas and is the first treatment in over 100 years to slow the disease’s progress before symptoms appear.Key Facts
- Teplizumab is the first drug approved to delay type 1 diabetes onset, not cure it.
- It is approved for people aged eight and older who are in the early, pre-symptomatic stage of the disease.
- Type 1 diabetes usually develops in childhood and reduces the pancreas’s ability to make insulin.
- The drug is given through a 14-day drip treatment that takes about 30 minutes per day.
- By delaying diabetes, patients gain more years without needing insulin or managing daily symptoms.
- Teplizumab was developed by Sanofi and will be provided to the NHS at a discounted price.
- The approval followed a careful review by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
- Experts say early detection of type 1 diabetes is important to benefit from this treatment.
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