Breakthrough in the Fight Against Type 1 Diabetes

We are excited to inform our patients and their families that the FDA recently approved a new treatment that helps delay the onset of type 1 diabetes in at-risk individuals. The new treatment, called teplizumab, is a monoclonal antibody treatment that modulates the immune system to reduce the body’s attack on the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. By lessening this attack, teplizumab can help delay the onset of type 1 diabetes by several years. This delay can provide a precious window of time free from the daily management of type 1 diabetes, which can be invaluable for children and their families.

You may be wondering how we determine who may benefit from and be eligible for this treatment. Fortunately, we can evaluate you or your child with a simple blood test collected in our in-house lab! For patients with a family history of type 1 diabetes, or a personal/family history of other autoimmune disorders, a blood test can be done to screen for certain autoantibodies, which indicate whether someone is likely to develop type 1 diabetes in the near future. If you believe you or your child may be at increased risk, reach out to your doctor about getting the blood test done with your next blood draw! We are so excited to offer this important screening to our patients and families and hopefully help decrease the burden of type 1 diabetes.