2025: A Year of Breakthroughs for Type 1 Diabetes

2025 has been an extraordinary year for progress in type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, treatment, advocacy and policy. 

Across the UK and internationally, Breakthrough T1D and our partners have helped accelerate scientific discovery, shape national healthcare priorities, expand access to transformative technologies, and ensure that the experiences of people living with T1D are heard and understood. 

This was a year marked by strong collaboration. Researchers, clinicians, industry innovators, donors, volunteers, and community supporters have all contributed to the pace of progress. From driving major research initiatives to providing trusted insight across the healthcare system, Breakthrough T1D UK has played a central role in some of the most significant developments in the T1D landscape. 

Here, we look back at some of the major milestones achieved month by month, celebrating the progress we’ve made together and the hope we’re building for the future.

January – 103 years of insulin

We began the year by marking 103 years since insulin was first given to a person with type 1 diabetes, a breakthrough that transformed a fatal diagnosis into a manageable condition and remains the foundation of T1D care today. 

While our understanding of insulin has advanced, everyone with type 1 still relies on daily injections, and managing blood glucose is demanding. That is why the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge , a partnership between the Steve Morgan Foundation, Diabetes UK and Breakthrough T1D, is funding novel insulin research and supporting scientists to develop next-generation insulins that act faster, respond automatically, and reduce the risks of highs, lows, and long-term complications, making treatment safer, smarter and easier. 

February – Research recommendations and raising the profile of the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge

In February we published new research and recommendations for the treatment and management of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). We worked with a number of UK based diabetes and kidney charities to develop this guidance and set out a roadmap for improving outcomes for people with diabetes-related kidney complications.

February also saw the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge take centre stage at the 2025 Diabetes UK Professional Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, showcasing pioneering research programmes and building momentum across the scientific community.

March – Breakthrough science and policy influence

A major scientific milestone was published in March, showing that by making sure human islets have a good blood supply we could help improve the success rate of these cells in transplantation. This is a crucial step towards improving islet transplant success rates and reducing the number of people that need to inject insulin after receiving a transplant.

We also continued our commitment to equity in research participation with new guidance on making clinical trials more accessible and inclusive.

In Parliament, our policy team reconvened the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Diabetes, giving us a powerful platform to advocate for the needs of our community and help shape the group’s strategic priorities. This work helps us to make sure that the needs of people affected by T1D are heard at the highest level of government.

April – Global innovation and a bold new strategy

In April one of the biggest international diabetes conferences, Advanced Technologies and Treatments for Diabetes (ATTD) 2025, took place in the Netherlands. A number of the Breakthrough T1D team attended including one of our directors, Nadia Swann, who shared her highlights from the conference.

April also marked a major organisational milestone: the launch of our 10-year strategy, setting out an ambitious and transformative plan to cure, prevent and better treat T1D. The ways we talk about and manage T1D is changing rapidly. This is why our strategy focuses not just on funding excellent research but also how we can make sure advances are rolled out in functional and equitable ways.

May – £100 million pledge and new insights into T1D development

In an extraordinary show of global commitment to ending T1D, the Bukhman Foundation pledged £100 million to accelerate research and transform treatment.

May also saw the publication of new Breakthrough T1D funded research suggesting that enteroviral infections may contribute to the development of T1D, offering important clues about potential triggers of the condition. Data from nearly 200 people both with and without T1D, showed that enteroviral infections were more common in people with islet autoimmunity compared to people without.

June – Ageing with T1D and breakthroughs from ADA 2025

In June, our Facing the Future report highlighted the needs of people over 45 years living with T1D. While many feel anxious about their care, these findings are helping us guide health and social services to be better prepared, more supportive, and more responsive to the challenges of T1D in later life.

June also saw the 85th American Diabetes Association (ADA) conference, the largest diabetes conference in the world. Several ground-breaking results were unveiled during the meeting, including promising results from the FORWARD-101 trial, run by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, where ten of 12 participants no longer need to inject insulin following treatment with this innovative cell therapy.

Sana Biotechnology also released encouraging data, showing that their engineered islets survived and continued to function without immune suppression in the six-month period following transplantation. Only one person has been treated using Sana Biotechnology’s engineered islets, so further testing is needed. With your support, Breakthrough T1D contributed to this research through the T1D Fund.

July – Protecting kidney function, global discoveries and the importance of representation

In July a landmark study of almost 1,000 children with type 1 in Africa helped researchers identify a novel subtype of T1D, which is not caused by the immune system attacking the pancreas or genetic risk factors. Showing the importance of diverse global research, as most studies in the past have focussed on white, Western populations.

This month also brought the launch of the first-ever Barbie with T1D. Working closely with Mattel and the T1D community, we helped ensure the doll authentically reflects the experiences of people living with T1D, including the use of insulin pumps and other diabetes technology. Representation matters and this Barbie gives children with T1D a role model they can relate to, helping them feel seen, celebrated, and included. Beyond playtime, it’s a powerful symbol that T1D can be part of everyday life, inspiring confidence and pride for the next generation.

August – National clinical trials network, teplizumab approval and smart insulin progress

August saw the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approve teplizumab for use in the UK; the first-ever disease-modifying therapy for T1D. Representing a historic milestone for early detection and prevention efforts. Read our interview with Amy and her daughter, Imogen, to learn what delaying T1D can mean for families.

Early-stage research from the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge delivered promising results on smart insulin technologies, offering hope for safer, automated glucose control in the future.

September – Growing partnerships, clinical trial success and expanding funding opportunities

This month our team attended the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) annual meeting in Austria and shared six key insights from the conference. Results from the INNODIA trial presented at EASD revealed that existing drugs could work to slow T1D progression, adding to a growing pipeline of disease-modifying therapies. Our research partnerships team shared a new resource highlighted the importance of involving people affected by T1D in research.

New research showed that blood glucose levels should not prevent new parents from choosing to breastfeed, offering reassurance for new families.

UK scientists also gained access to European cell therapy funding through the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge, and the University of Oxford received £10 million to establish the Bukhman Centre for Research Excellence.

This year, an inquest held in September into the tragic death of two-year-old Lyla Story highlighted the devastating consequences of a missed diagnosis of type 1 diabetes and the urgent need for greater awareness and understanding of the condition. Our thoughts remain with Lyla’s family, who have shown extraordinary strength in campaigning to ensure other families are spared the same heartbreak. Their call for better awareness of the signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes, including increased thirst, extreme tiredness, weight loss and frequent urination, has resonated with people across the country. The need for earlier diagnosis is clear. We will continue to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms and push for a national early detection screening programme – a vital step in preventing further avoidable tragedies.

October – A spotlight on early detection

We published our influential white paper on early detection and screening, calling for the UK to adopt routine testing for T1D autoantibodies. Read our blog to learn more about why early detection must become standard practice.

November – Early detection policy, building a pathway

Following the successful launch of our white paper in October, our policy team held an APPG meeting focused on early detection in November. We also hosted the first of three parliamentary roundtables to build consensus on how early detection can be rolled out across the UK.

Exciting research from the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge researcher, Sarah Richardson, offered new clues about why T1D can be more aggressive in young children, an important step towards personalised treatments.

December – Turning research into reality

The first three days of December saw nearly 200 delegates from nine countries gather together in London for the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge Symposium 2025. This event gives researchers the opportunity to showcase the incredible progress being made across all the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge research areas, as well as demonstrating just how much the programme has grown in just over three years.

Looking ahead to 2026

2025 has shown what we can achieve when everyone comes together. Researchers, clinicians, supporters, volunteers, donors, policymakers, and the whole T1D community have all played a part in driving progress toward better treatments and, ultimately, cures.

Looking ahead to 2026, we’re inspired by what we can accomplish together and committed to making meaningful change for everyone living with T1D.