Game-changing type 1 diabetes drug approved in US

[Northerner]

A "game-changing" immunotherapy drug proven to delay the development of type 1 diabetes has been approved by regulators in the USA.

Experts say teplizumab marks a "new era" in treatment, tackling the root cause of the condition for the first time, rather than just the symptoms.

It works by reprogramming the immune system to stop it mistakenly attacking pancreatic cells which produce insulin.

It is likely to pave the way for approval decisions in other countries.

About 8.7 million people have type 1 diabetes worldwide. In the UK the condition affects 400,000 people, including more than 29,000 children.

Game-changing type 1 diabetes drug approved in US

It is the first drug to be approved that delays the onset of the condition.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Benny G]

Interesting honeymoon drug for children. Any movement on the type 1 front is encouraging.

 

[Rob Oldfield]

Interesting. I wonder what the criteria for treatment would be? Children/grandchildren of T1s?

 

[rebrascora]

I was just thinking the other day whether Methotrexate could be used for people with LADA to prevent further deterioration since it is already quite commonly used to treat a number of conditions already here i the UK. My sister takes it for Poly myalgia Rheumatica (an autoimmune condition) and my partner for his severe eczema.

Interesting honeymoon drug for children. Any movement on the type 1 front is encouraging.

I was thinking this medication might be more effective for mature adults developing Type 1 because the onset is generally slower than with children and particularly LADA. I assumed, perhaps wrongly, that with children, their beta cells are killed off quite quickly and they don't have much of a honeymoon period, but maybe because they are still developing, they don't have many beta cells so hit crisis point quite quickly, but if they were treated with a drug like this, their bodies would have the potential to develop more beta cells during the growth process, to replace the dead ones.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

More on the story here too:

First ever treatment to delay type 1 diabetes is licensed in the US

In a clinical trial, teplizumab delayed type 1 diabetes by an average of three years in people who were at high risk of developing the condition. It can now be prescribed in the United States outside of a research setting to people who don't yet have type 1 diabetes but are at high risk of...

www.diabetes.org.uk

 

[trophywench]

In the News interview with a spokeslady from JDRF, she said they were working towards getting pre-emptive testing in force for the 'at risk'.

Of course my brain immediately wonders how they work out who is at risk, and what tests are they going to do? Or do they merely instigate A1c testing of all children at regular intervals?

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Of course my brain immediately wonders how they work out who is at risk, and what tests are they going to do? Or do they merely instigate A1c testing of all children at regular intervals?

There's a finger prick test for the relevant autoantibodies, apparently.

Research spotlight - Screening for type 1 diabetes risk

In type 1 diabetes, the body’s immune system mistakenly identifies insulin-making cells as a threat and sets about destroying them. Thanks to decades of research, scientists have been able to home in on what happens in the immune system in the months and years before someone is diagnosed with...

www.diabetes.org.uk

 

[trophywench]

There's a finger prick test for the relevant autoantibodies, apparently.

Research spotlight - Screening for type 1 diabetes risk

In type 1 diabetes, the body’s immune system mistakenly identifies insulin-making cells as a threat and sets about destroying them. Thanks to decades of research, scientists have been able to home in on what happens in the immune system in the months and years before someone is diagnosed with...

www.diabetes.org.uk

Gosh! - fancy that.

 

[Eddy Edson]

The list price in the US will initially be approx one $zillion.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1593650779931525125

 

[Northerner]

The list price in the US will initially be approx one $zillion.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1593650779931525125

That's about the same price as their insulin, isn't it?

 

[rebrascora]

That's about the same price as their insulin, isn't it?

I was tempted to respond with a laughing emoji..... but it's really not a laughing matter is it. Just shocking! How can they possibly justify that sort of price tag!

 

[trophywench]

I was tempted to respond with a laughing emoji..... but it's really not a laughing matter is it. Just shocking! How can they possibly justify that sort of price tag!

Easily Barbara! How many years work do you think it has taken them in order to produce such a drug? They told @Pumper_Sue 's parents they expected a cure within 10 years ........ and certainly told me the same!

 

[rebrascora]

Easily Barbara! How many years work do you think it has taken them in order to produce such a drug? They told @Pumper_Sue 's parents they expected a cure within 10 years ........ and certainly told me the same!

I appreciate that a lot of money goes into research and development but $193,000 dollars for a 2 week course of a drug for one patient which will only potentially delay the onset of Type 1, seems totally unrealistic, unless I have misunderstood something.

 

[trophywench]

If you knew how much simple things like blood tests actually cost, you'd blench.