The NHS in England and Wales has approved the first drug that delays the onset of Diabetes, allowing patients to postpone symptoms and insulin treatment for up to three years.
Teplizumab, an immunotherapy treatment, slows the immune system’s attack on insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. NHS medicines experts called the decision “genuinely exciting”, and they expect around 1,100 people to become eligible in the first year.
Health leaders and patient organisations described the development as a breakthrough after decades of research. Breakthrough T1D chief executive Karen Addington said families would welcome extra years without the daily pressure of managing the condition.
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Doctors give teplizumab through a 14-day intravenous infusion before symptoms appear, after blood tests detect early immune activity. However, the NHS does not yet offer routine screening for people at risk.
Clinicians usually identify early risk through family history or incidental medical tests. Many patients, however, have no known genetic link, which suggests environmental triggers also play a role.
Type 1 diabetes develops when the immune system destroys insulin-producing cells. Unlike type 2 diabetes, it does not link to lifestyle factors. Once diagnosed, patients must monitor blood glucose levels and take insulin for life.
Families say early management demands constant attention. Theo Sebastian-Jenkins’ mother, Vicky, explained that daily life requires careful carbohydrate counting and precise insulin dosing, leaving no room to “switch off”.
Doctors diagnosed Theo at age four after he showed extreme thirst, weight loss, and fatigue. He now manages the condition carefully, and his family hopes future patients will benefit from earlier intervention.
Another patient, Dima Boichak from Berkshire, received teplizumab after a research programme identified him as high risk. His mother, Elena, said the infusion treatment was demanding but offered valuable extra time before insulin dependence.
The drug costs about £150,000 per course, although the NHS has secured a confidential discount with manufacturer Sanofi. NICE estimates that hundreds of patients each year will benefit once services fully scale up.
Experts say researchers continue to develop additional immunotherapies. They hope future combinations may one day prevent insulin dependence entirely.
Scotland and Northern Ireland will make separate decisions on access through their own medicines approval bodies.
