NHS Introduces New Type 1 Diabetes Treatment
A new type 1 diabetes treatment is now available through the NHS in England and Wales. The medicine, teplizumab, is the first drug approved to delay the onset of type 1 diabetes in people at high risk of developing the condition.
The treatment can delay symptoms and the need for insulin therapy by around three years, offering patients and families valuable extra time before managing the full impact of the disease.
How the Type 1 Diabetes Treatment Works
Teplizumab Slows the Immune System’s Attack
Teplizumab is a form of immunotherapy that helps slow the immune system’s attack on insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
Type 1 diabetes develops when the body’s immune system mistakenly destroys these cells, reducing the body’s ability to produce insulin and regulate blood sugar levels.
Why Early Treatment Matters
Doctors must give teplizumab before symptoms appear. Patients need blood tests that show the immune system has already started attacking the pancreas before they can receive the treatment. read more
Families Welcome the New Type 1 Diabetes Treatment
Diabetes Charities Praise NHS Decision
Diabetes charities have welcomed the approval of teplizumab after years of research and development.
Karen Addington, chief executive of Breakthrough T1D, said the treatment could give children and families several extra years without the daily challenges of managing type 1 diabetes.
Living with Type 1 Diabetes
Theo’s Experience with the Condition
Eight-year-old Theo Sebastian-Jenkins was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was four years old.
Doctors confirmed the condition after his parents took him to hospital. Today, Theo carefully manages his health through regular blood sugar monitoring and a controlled diet.
His story highlights the challenges many families face while living with type 1 diabetes.
Early Detection Helps Patients Access Treatment
Blood Tests Can Identify High-Risk Patients
Early detection plays an important role in accessing this new type 1 diabetes treatment.
Patients must undergo blood tests that identify signs of an immune attack on the pancreas before symptoms begin.
Young Patient Receives Early Access to Teplizumab
Research Study Helps Identify Risk
Dima Boichak from Berkshire discovered he was at high risk of developing type 1 diabetes after taking part in a nationwide research study.
His family joined the programme because a close relative had already been diagnosed with the condition.
Dima later became one of the first young patients in the UK to receive teplizumab. know more
Cost and Availability of the Type 1 Diabetes Treatment
NHS Estimates More Than 1,000 Eligible Patients
The published cost of teplizumab is around £150,000 per treatment course. However, the NHS has negotiated a confidential discount with the manufacturer, Sanofi.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) estimates that around 1,100 people could qualify for the treatment during its first year of availability.
Future of Type 1 Diabetes Treatment
Researchers Explore New Immunotherapy Options
Scientists continue to develop additional immunotherapy treatments for type 1 diabetes.
Experts hope future advances will allow doctors to use personalised combinations of therapies to prevent or significantly delay the disease.
While teplizumab is now available in England and Wales, separate approval decisions are still required in Scotland and Northern Ireland.