New treatment option

Type 1 diabetes develops gradually in stages. People with one high risk of type 1 diabetes who have no symptoms can now be screened to see if they are in the early stages of the condition.

Screening for type 1 diabetes identifies whether someone has certain autoantibodiesimmune cells that attack the body’s insulin-producing cells. Blood sugar levels will also be checked.

New medicine

Teplizumab is a new drug that can slow the development of type 1 diabetes autoantibodies. This can delay symptoms of type 1 diabetes as well as the need for blood sugar monitoring and insulin injections. It is given as a daily intravenous (IV) infusion for 14 days.

Teplizumab is for people with stage 2 type 1 diabetes who are 8 years and older to prevent progression to stage 3, which is when symptoms appear. Once a person has progressed to stage 3, teplizumab is not effective.

This medication can be very expensive without health insurance coverage. However, you may be eligible for a copay assistance program called Compass, which may cover the cost of the medication.

Medical advances

Teplizumab is the first major treatment option for people with type 1 diabetes since insulin therapy was invented over 100 years ago. Medical research is ongoing to discover new drugs and technologies to manage type 1 diabetes. Scientists have made progress in recent years to find a cure for type 1 diabetes.