Treatment options for early-stage type 1 diabetes

Immunotherapies or disease modifying therapies – what does ‘treatment’ mean?

These treatments are known as disease-modifying treatments or disease modifying therapies. They can also be known as immunotherapies. This means they can alter the course of a disease and stop it progressing as quickly. They work on your immune system by slowing down the autoimmune attack which happens in T1D. In doing this, the symptoms will be delayed and you can remain in an earlier stage of T1D for longer.

Why are these treatments so important?

The ability to delay the progression of T1D can make a profound difference for people identified in the earliest stages. For some, these treatments may offer precious extra time, months or even years, before insulin injections are needed. That time can mean space to prepare and to live life without the immediate demands of daily injections. 

These emerging treatments also offer vital protection. They have the potential to reduce the risk of being diagnosed in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a serious and life-threatening condition. Being diagnosed in DKA can be frightening and overwhelming, and it is linked to a higher risk of complications later in life. 

The development of new treatments to delay T1D also matters deeply for everyone already living with type 1 diabetes. As we enter the era of cellular cures, understanding how to protect and preserve insulin producing cells is essential. The more we learn about keeping these cells alive and functioning for longer, the closer we move towards treatments that restore the body’s own ability to make insulin. 

Which treatments are available?

The first disease-modifying treatment approved for use in T1D is called teplizumab. It has been proven to delay T1D by an average of three years in people who have stage 2 T1D. Teplizumab changes the immune system’s response to insulin producing cells (beta cells), slowing down the immune attack.

Teplizumab was approved by the MHRA in September 2025.

There are also many clinical trials ongoing globally to investigate if any treatments approved for use in other conditions could also preserve beta cell function and delay the onset of T1D. These are called disease modifying therapies, as they can change the speed of onset of T1D.

How can I get access to a disease-modifying treatment?

Teplizumab is approved for use in the UK for people aged eight and older, however it is currently undergoing approvals by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to determine whether it will be available on the NHS.

NICE takes different factors into consideration such as price of the treatment and how many people it could help. If NICE approves it, it will be accessible to everyone who is identified with two autoantibodies in stage 2.

If you have any further questions about this treatment, please read our FAQs about teplizumab.

Research into new treatments

Teplizumab is paving the way as the first of many new therapies aimed at preventing or delaying T1D. Its approval marks an exciting milestone, and researchers are actively developing additional treatments that could further protect the body’s insulin-producing cells.

With rapid progress in research on medications that can help prevent beta cell destruction in T1D, we look forward to sharing updates on when these treatments may become available. Follow our social media channels to stay informed about the latest breakthroughs in these promising therapies.

Take part in research

There is ongoing research globally for clinical trials for disease-modifying therapies. To see if you are eligible for a T1D clinical trial, visit our page on taking part in clinical trials to find out if you can take part, or speak to your healthcare team for more information.

This page has been developed by Breakthrough T1D with funding from Sanofi UK and Abbott Diabetes Care who have had no editorial input or control over the contents.