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A first of its kind therapy that can delay the onset of type 1 diabetes for up to three years will be made available on the NHS in a ‘landmark’ moment.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has approved teplizumab, with Diabetes UK saying it ‘marks the start of a new age of treatment’.
Teplizumab – sold as Tzield and made by Sanofi – has been approved for children aged eight and above as well as adults who have the condition in its early stage before symptoms appear.
Some 400,000 people in the UK have type 1 diabetes – a chronic condition where the immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
Teplizumab trains the immune system to stop attacking these cells.
Evidence shows the drug, given as a one-off course, can delay the onset of the disease, meaning adults can live a fuller life and children have longer before having to aggressively manage their diabetes.
Nice estimates 1,100 people may be eligible for teplizumab in the first year, dropping to 820 in the coming years.
Dr Elizabeth Robertson, at the Diabetes UK charity, said: ‘Today’s landmark approval of teplizumab marks the start of a new age of treatment. For the first time in 100 years, we are moving beyond insulin with a medicine that targets the root cause of the condition.
A new therapy which delays type 1 diabetes for up to three years has been approved by the NHS. Pictured: A woman with diabetes injects herself with insulin
Teplizumab, given through a drip into a vein, has approved for children aged eight and above and adults who have the condition in its early stage before symptoms appear (file pic)
‘This is an extraordinary moment for celebration… and represents a shift towards a future where type 1 diabetes can be prevented altogether.’
Dr Robertson added: ‘Teplizumab offers those in the early stages of type 1 diabetes extra years free of the relentless demands of managing the condition with insulin. Detecting type 1 early is key to unlocking these benefits, and our focus now is ensuring fair access for everyone who is eligible.’
There are two UK studies looking at screening for type 1 diabetes – identifying those with the disease early means they could receive teplizumab.
The Early Surveillance for Autoimmune Diabetes study, funded by Diabetes UK and Breakthrough T1D, focuses on children aged two to 17, while the T1DRA study is screening adults between 18 and 70.
Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at Nice, said: ‘This is a genuinely exciting recommendation. Evidence shows teplizumab can delay symptomatic diabetes by an average of nearly three years.’
And Karen Addington, of Breakthrough T1D, described it as an ‘incredible moment’.
Teplizumab is given through a drip into a vein once a day for 14 days in a row.
Each infusion takes around 30 minutes, with the dose increased over the first few days.
