New FDA Approvals

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new biological treatment that delays the onset of type 1 diabetes.

The treatment will be available under the trade name Tzield.

Teplizumab-mzwv is the first approved treatment for the prevention of diabetes.

It is an intravenous injection administered to delay the onset of stage 3 of type 1 diabetes in adults and pediatric patients aged 8 years and older who are in stage 2 of type 2 diabetes.

Scientists explained that during this stage, doctors can measure the antibodies that attack insulin-producing beta cells in the person's blood. Although patients at this stage have abnormal blood sugar levels, their bodies can still produce insulin.

Experts clarified that the new drug works to prevent the body's attack on insulin-producing cells. They added that protecting these cells gives patients over two additional years before fully relying on insulin for diabetes control, and the positive results lasted longer for some study participants.

According to a scientific statement issued by the American Association of Endocrinologists and the American Diabetes Association, the risk of developing diabetes and relying on insulin increases by 75% when signs of autoimmune diseases and uncontrolled sugar episodes appear.

Type 1 diabetes is a genetic disease that currently has no preventive options, unlike type 2 diabetes, which can be prevented through lifestyle changes such as weight loss and exercise.