A therapy that can delay the onset of type 1 diabetes (T1D) by an average of nearly 3 years has been recommended for NHS use in England — the first country in Europe to do so through a health technology appraisal.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended teplizumab (Tzield, Sanofi) for patients aged 8 years or older with stage 2 (presymptomatic) disease, in what Diabetes UK describes as “a new age of type 1 diabetes treatment.”

"For the first time in 100 years, we are moving beyond insulin, with a medicine that targets the root cause of the condition," said Dr Elizabeth Robertson, director of research and clinical at Diabetes UK, in a press release. "This is an extraordinary moment for celebration in the type 1 diabetes community."

Source: MEDspace