Experts hail ‘new age of diabetes treatment’ as drug approved on NHS
A ‘landmark moment’ is being celebrated in the NHS as a first-of-its-kind therapy that can delay the onset of type 1 diabetes for up to three years will be made available.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has approved teplizumab, which the charity Diabetes UK said “marks the start of a new age of type 1 diabetes treatment”.
Teplizumab, also known as Tzield and made by Sanofi, is approved for children aged eight and over and adults who have type 1 diabetes in its early stage before symptoms appear.
It is given as a one-off course and trains the immune system to stop attacking pancreatic cells.
Evidence shows the drug can delay the onset of type 1, meaning people can live a fuller life and children can have longer before having to aggressively manage their diabetes.
Nice estimates that around 1,100 people could be eligible for teplizumab in the first year, dropping to around 820 patients in the coming years.
Source: The Independent, 23 June 2026