A diagnosis of type 1 diabetes has always meant the same thing on day one: a lifetime of insulin. A newly approved drug will not change that — but for the first time, it can slow the disease at the very start.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in June it approved teplizumab, sold as Tzield, for children and teenagers aged 8 to 17 who have just been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. It is the first therapy cleared to alter the course of the disease at that stage, rather than simply replace insulin.
In type 1 diabetes, the immune system mistakenly destroys the insulin-making cells in the pancreas. Teplizumab, an antibody given by infusion, calls off part of that attack. In the trial behind the approval, two 12-day courses helped preserve the pancreas’s remaining insulin-producing cells, which can mean steadier blood sugar, lower insulin doses, and fewer dangerous lows.
The drug is not a cure, and it carries risks, including a warning about serious viral reactivation.
Allyson Good curates senior living, health, and family content. She is formerly the Managing Editor of Active Life, a print newspaper published in 2016-2017 for seniors, choosing practical articles on health, money, safety, and everyday living for older readers. She is also an avid gardener and offers up Garden Hints and Tips on a regular basis.
