A revolutionary drug that delays the onset of type 1 diabetes has been approved for use in the public health system of England and Wales (NHS), marking the biggest breakthrough in treating the disease in more than a century, according to “The Guardian”.

The drug, called teplizumab (trade name Tzield), does not cure type 1 diabetes but can delay its symptomatic development for up to three years.

It works by ‘training’ the immune system not to attack the cells of the pancreas that produce insulin.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has approved the drug for use in adults and children over the age of 8 who are in the early, symptom-free stage of type 1 diabetes.

Experts say this gives patients valuable years before they need permanent treatment with insulin.

Teplizumab is administered by intravenous infusion once a day for 14 consecutive days. After the two-week course, the treatment is closed without the need for further doses.

According to the charity “Diabetes UK”, the approval of this drug marks the beginning of a new era in the treatment of type 1 diabetes, as for the first time in over 100 years medicine is moving beyond insulin and targeting the underlying cause of the disease.

Experts emphasize that early diagnosis is essential to benefit from this therapy, which can offer patients, especially children and adolescents, more time without the daily burden of diabetes management.

Source: prizrenpost