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First drug to delay type 1 diabetes now available on the NHS

The NHS in England and Wales has begun offering teplizumab, the first treatment shown to delay the onset of type 1 diabetes.

Teplizumab is an immunotherapy given before symptoms appear. By easing the immune system’s attack on the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, it can give people around three extra years before they develop symptoms and need to begin lifelong insulin. It can be given from the age of eight, as a daily infusion over 14 consecutive days.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which recommended the drug, estimates around 1,100 children and adults could be eligible in the first year. Because it must be given before symptoms develop, patients first need a blood test showing the immune system has started to attack the pancreas. Routine screening is not yet available on the NHS, so most people currently learn they are at risk through other tests or family history.

Earlier research that helped make the drug possible was funded by the charity Breakthrough T1D, with several further immunotherapies now in development. In Scotland, the Scottish Medicines Consortium expects to issue its advice in early 2027.

Treatments like teplizumab only reach patients because people take part in research. If you, or someone in your family, would like to get involved in type 1 diabetes research in the UK, you can register your interest with us.

Source: BBC News, 23 June 2026

New Resources Now Available for Researchers

20 November 2025

We’re pleased to announce three new interactive dashboards for researchers working in Type 1 diabetes:

  • UKT1D Selected Publications and Thought Leading Reviews – Access our comprehensive collection of publications and influential reviews from the consortium.
  • Facts and Figures about the UKT1D – Explore key statistics and analytics about our reach, impact, and contribution to T1D research across the UK.
  • Data Sharing Platform (DSP) – Explore and utilise research data to support collaborative research and innovation.

All three resources are now available on our For Researchers page.

For further information, contact T1DUK@cardiff.ac.uk.

World Diabetes Day 2025: EMA Recommends First Treatment to Delay Type 1 Diabetes Onset

Date: 19 November 2025

World Diabetes Day 2025 has brought encouraging news for the type 1 diabetes community. The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has issued a positive opinion recommending the approval of teplizumab (Tzield) for patients with stage 2 type 1 diabetes.

This marks a significant milestone as the first-in-class treatment designed to delay the onset of stage 3 type 1 diabetes. The recommendation follows clinical evidence demonstrating teplizumab’s potential to postpone disease progression in at-risk individuals.

The CHMP’s positive opinion is an important step towards making this treatment available to patients across Europe. Final approval from the European Commission is now awaited.

Further Information:

Applications Open for EASD’s 1st Immunology School for Endocrinology in Vienna

Date: 14.11.2025

The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) is accepting applications for its inaugural Immunology School for Endocrinology, taking place on 26-27 March 2026 in Vienna, Austria.

This two-day educational programme offers an excellent opportunity for researchers and clinicians working in diabetes and endocrinology to deepen their understanding of immunological mechanisms.

How to Apply: Applications are now open. For full details and to apply, visit the EASD Immunology School webpage.

New drug trial offers hope for slowing type 1 diabetes progression

A groundbreaking clinical trial has shown that the drug teplizumab can delay the onset of type 1 diabetes by an average of two years in high-risk individuals. The treatment, which targets the immune system, offers hope for those identified as being at risk of developing the condition. Researchers describe it as a “pivotal moment” in type 1 diabetes care, though caution that more work is needed to understand long-term effects and accessibility.

Read more at BBC News

MHRA approves teplizumab to delay progression of type 1 diabetes

doctor questioning patient

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) research is at a pivotal point – there is now a licensed therapy in the UK, Teplizumab, to delay onset of symptoms in people with early stage T1D (Link).

Over decades, our UK-based research, both academic and commercial has made a major contribution to identifying children and adults who will develop type 1 diabetes symptoms in the future (Link to studies).

There is now one treatment to delay, but additional research will identify even better treatments leading to our vision of insulin free type 1 diabetes.

More detailed coverage of the news is available here.

Are we proof that a new drug to stop type 1 diabetes really does work?

A new drug for Type 1 diabetes, Teplizumab, is being tested in the PROTECT clinical trial.

Teplizumab blocks the action of insulin-destroying antibodies in type 1.

Read the article on the Daily Mail

The ELSA Study

The ELSA study launched nationally on World Diabetes Day in November 2022. Within 24 hours, over 1000 children were signed-up to the study! By February 2023, we have sent over 3000 home-testing kits out to families and have analysed over 1000 kits so far. The next phase of the study is to disseminate to schools and general practices across the UK. A huge thank you to the parents and children who have taken part in the ELSA study. If you would like to find out more about screening your child for type 1 diabetes, visit: https://www.elsadiabetes.nhs.uk/.

Readily Available Drug Shows Promise in Treating Type 1 Diabetes

pexels

Study shows verapamil can have a beneficial effect on the pancreas in children with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes.

Find out more from this article

First Treatment to Delay Type 1 Diabetes Licensed in the US

A Doctor Checking a Child

On 17/11/22 teplizumab was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the first ever treatment indicated to delay the onset of stage 3 type 1 diabetes. This is the biggest treatment breakthrough for the condition since the discovery of insulin 100 years ago.

Although teplizumab is not approved in the UK yet, the US approval paves the way for this life-changing treatment to be made available to people at high risk of developing type 1 diabetes in the UK too.

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