by A “groundbreaking” medication to slow down the development of type -1 diabetes is tried out by a handful of patients in the UK.
Teplizumab, which is already approved in the USA, trains the immune system to no longer attack pancreatic cells and to delay the need for insulin by an average of three years.
In the case of type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, which means that the blood sugar level is no longer regulated by the body.
If blood sugar is too high or low, this can cause serious health problems and even death.
People with type 1 therefore need insulin every day.
The dentist and two -year -old mother, Hannah Robinson from Devon, is the first adult in the UK to try out the medication in the hope that it can delay the condition.
She is treated at the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust after discovering during pregnancy that it was in the early stages of development type 1.
A handful of people receive the medication from case to case, while it is checked for wider use on the NHS.
The 36-year-old said: “For me, this new drug offers more freedom and the opportunity to concentrate on my health before I think differently and to deal with life as someone who needs an insulin every day.
“This is not just about what I eat or monitored my glucose, but also about having more control and not feeling defined by my condition.
“This treatment could possibly pave the way for a future remedy for type -1 -diabetes, which is incredible. I feel very happy to be part of it.”
The new medicine -Teprizumab must be effectively administered in the earliest stage of the disease in order to be effective.
Dr. Nick Thomas, diabetes consultant and academic clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter, said: “This new treatment is a really exciting change in the management of type -1 diabetes.
“For the first time, we will be able to carry out targeted treatment early in the process in order to change the underlying immune process to slow down how quickly people need insulin.
“About half of all type -1 -diabetes cases develop in adulthood, and Hannah will be the first adult in Great Britain to receive this treatment.
“I hope that in the future we may be able to prevent people with former type -1 diabetes of needing insulin at all.”
Experts from the Royal Devon and University of Exeter use genetics and other tests to recognize people with high risk for the development of type -1 diabetes.
The hope is that more people could be offered the medication to delay type 1.
Dr. Lucy Chambers, head of research effect and communication at Diabetes UK, said: “For people in the early stages of type 1 diabetes, Teplizumab offers a groundbreaking opportunity to buy precious additional years insulin-free.
“At the moment it is only available in research environments – and although the excitement is real, it is still urgently needed to ensure that everyone who could benefit could benefit.
“This means securing a British license for Teplizumab, setting up national screening programs to identify people with type 1 diabetes in early stages before the symptoms occur, and the preparation of the NHS for the provision of this treatment on a scale.
“Diabetes UK is proud to be at the forefront of these efforts-financing of pioneering research and closely with the NHS towards a future in which immunotherapies are the first treatment for combating the autoimmune attack at the root of type 1 diabetes.”
Professor Richard Oram, consultant at the Royal Devon and professor at the University of Exeter, said: “Teplizumab is exciting the first medication with the potential to delay type -1 diabetes, but must be awarded before the clinical diagnosis due to high blood sugar.
“It is really important to find new and improved approaches to identify people with an increased risk.”
