National Health Service (NHS) makes Teplizumab available to delay type 1 diabetes onset

Key facts

• Teplizumab is the first drug that can delay the onset of type 1 diabetes and is being made available on the National Health Service (NHS) in England and Wales.
• The drug is a form of immunotherapy that can give people three extra years before they develop symptoms and need lifelong insulin treatment.
• Teplizumab must be given as an infusion into a vein before symptoms develop, and patients need a blood test showing the immune system has started attacking the pancreas.
• The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended the drug, estimating around 1,100 adults and children could be eligible in its first year, with around 820 per year offered in the longer term.
• The published price of teplizumab is around £150,000 per course of treatment, but the NHS has negotiated a confidential discount with the drugmaker Sanofi.