Nov 18, 2022 - Health

FDA approves first drug that can delay Type 1 diabetes

Sareen Habeshian

A sign for the Food And Drug Administration is seen on July 20, 2020, in White Oak, Maryland. Photo: Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the first treatment that can delay the onset of Type 1 diabetes.

Why it matters: The new drug, called Tzield (teplizumab-mzwv), can delay the onset of stage 3 Type 1 diabetes in adults, and in pediatric patients 8 years and older who have stage 2 Type 1 diabetes, per the FDA.

It does not, however, cure or prevent Type 1 diabetes, which often emerges in teenagers.

Details: The drug is made by Provention Bio in partnership with Sanofi and will be marketed in the U.S. under the brand name Tzield, the New York Times reports.

The drug should be available by the end of the year, Provention said.

By the numbers: The drug will cost $13,850 a vial or $193,900 for the 14-day treatment, Provention said in an investor call Friday per the Times.

What they're saying: "Today’s approval of a first-in-class therapy adds an important new treatment option for certain at-risk patients," Dr. John Sharretts, head of the diabetes division at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a statement.

"The drug’s potential to delay clinical diagnosis of type 1 diabetes may provide patients with months to years without the burdens of disease."

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FDA approves first drug that can delay Type 1 diabetes

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