FDA approves 1st drug to delay the onset of Type 1 diabetes
The drug, called Tzield, is the first-ever FDA approved treatment intended to delay the onset of type 1 diabetes in adults and children ages 8 and up.
The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the first drug to delay the onset of Type 1 diabetes.
The drug, called Tzield, is a monoclonal antibody injection. It’s been approved for people ages 8 and older who have early signs of Type 1 diabetes.
Nearly 2 million people in the United States have Type 1 diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. Symptoms can appear at any age, although it is usually diagnosed in children and young adults.
In people with Type 1 diabetes, the body doesn’t make insulin, a hormone that tell cells to use sugar from the bloodstream to make energy. Without insulin, too much sugar can stay in the blood, which can lead to health problems.
The new drug, from drugmakers Sanofi and Provention Bio, works by preventing the body’s immune system from mistakenly attacking cells in the pancreas that make insulin.
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