Teplizumab trains the immune system to stop attacking pancreatic cells, delaying the need for insulin by an average of three years
A ‘revolutionary’ medication designed to slow the progression of type 1 diabetes is currently being tested by a small number of patients across the UK. Teplizumab, which has already received approval in the US, works by teaching the immune system to stop attacking pancreatic cells, postponing the requirement for insulin by an average of three years.
In type 1 diabetes, the immune system targets insulin-producing cells within the pancreas, resulting in the body’s inability to regulate blood sugar levels. When blood sugar becomes too elevated or drops too low, it can lead to severe health complications and potentially prove fatal.
People with type 1 diabetes consequently require daily insulin injections. Dentist and mother-of-two Hannah Robinson, from Devon, has become the first adult in the UK to trial the medication in hopes of delaying the onset of her condition.
She is receiving treatment at the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust following the discovery during her pregnancy that she was in the preliminary stages of developing type 1 diabetes. A small group of individuals are being administered the treatment on an individual assessment basis whilst it undergoes evaluation for broader NHS implementation, reports Devon Live.
The 36-year-old explained: “For me, this new drug offers more freedom and the chance to focus on my health before I have to start thinking differently and managing life as somebody needing daily insulin. This isn’t just about what I eat or monitoring my glucose, it is also about having more control and not feeling defined by my condition.
“This treatment could potentially pave the way for a future cure for type 1 diabetes, which is incredible. I feel very lucky to be part of this.”
The breakthrough medication teplizumab requires administration during the condition’s initial phases to achieve maximum effectiveness. Dr Nick Thomas, a diabetes specialist and academic clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter, explained: “This new treatment represents a really exciting shift in how we manage type 1 diabetes. For the first time ever, we will be able to provide targeted treatment early enough in the process to alter the underlying immune process, aiming to slow down how quickly people need insulin.
“Approximately half of all type 1 diabetes cases develop in adulthood, and Hannah will be the first adult in the UK to receive this treatment. My hope is that in the future, we may be able to stop people with early type 1 diabetes from needing insulin at all.”
Specialists at the Royal Devon and the University of Exeter are utilising genetic analysis and additional screening methods to identify individuals at elevated risk of developing type 1 diabetes. The hope is that more patients could be offered the medication to postpone the onset of type 1.
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Dr Lucy Chambers, head of research impact and communications at Diabetes UK, said: “For people in the early stages of type 1 diabetes, teplizumab offers a groundbreaking opportunity to buy them precious extra years insulin-free. Right now, it’s only available in research settings.
“While the excitement is real, urgent work is still needed to ensure it reaches everyone who could benefit. That means securing a UK licence for teplizumab, establishing national screening programmes to identify people with early-stage type 1 diabetes before symptoms appear, and preparing the NHS to deliver this treatment at scale.
“Diabetes UK is proud to be at the forefront of these efforts, funding pioneering research and working closely with the NHS towards a future where immunotherapies become the first-line treatment for tackling the autoimmune attack at the root of type 1 diabetes.”
Professor Richard Oram, a consultant physician at the Royal Devon and professor at the University of Exeter, added: “Excitingly, teplizumab is the first drug with the potential to delay type 1 diabetes, but needs to be given before clinical diagnosis due to high blood glucose.
“It is really important to find new and improved approaches for identifying individuals at elevated risk.”