Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved teplizumab (Tzield) to delay the onset of stage 3 type 1 diabetes (T1D) by an average of three years in adults and children aged eight and older with stage 2 T1D.
Teplizumab (from Aventis Pharma) is the UK’s first-ever approved immunotherapy for type 1 diabetes.
Stage 3 T1D is when people usually begin to experience blood sugar problems and are diagnosed with the condition, which often requires lifelong insulin treatment.
Teplizumab is used in people with stage 2 T1D, the earlier stage of the disease where individuals are at high risk of progressing to stage 3, and is administered via intravenous infusion once daily for 14 days.
The product was submitted and approved via the International Recognition Procedure, which allows the MHRA to take into account the expertise and decision-making of trusted regulatory partners for the benefit of UK patients.
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