Early Treatment for Type 1 Diabetes

Key points

  • Recent advances have made it possible to diagnose type 1 diabetes before symptoms appear.
  • A new treatment option is available to delay symptoms of type 1 diabetes in people with early stages.
Family sitting on couch looking at ipad

New treatment option

Type 1 diabetes develops gradually in stages. People with a high risk of type 1 diabetes who don't have symptoms can now get screened to see if they are in the early stages of the condition.

Screening for type 1 diabetes identifies if someone has certain autoantibodies, immune cells that attack the body's insulin-making cells. Blood sugar levels will also be checked.

Stage 1 you have 2 or autoantibodies, normal blood sugar, and no symptoms. Stage 2 you have 2 or more autoantibodies, high blood sugar, and no symptoms. Stage 3 you have 2 or more autoantibodies, high blood sugar, and symptoms are present.
Staging for type 1 diabetes.

New medicine

Teplizumab is a new medicine that can slow down the development of type 1 diabetes autoantibodies. This can delay type 1 diabetes symptoms, as well as the need for blood sugar monitoring and insulin injections. It's 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 delay progression to stage 3, which is when symptoms appear.

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 medicine.

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 underway to discover new medicines and technologies to manage type 1 diabetes. Scientists have made progress in recent years to discover a cure for type 1 diabetes.

Print
Content Source:
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; Diabetes