The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Tzield (teplizumab-mzwv) to delay the onset of stage 3 type 1 diabetes (T1D) in adults and pediatric patients aged 8 years and older who are at risk of developing the condition. This approval represents a significant advancement in the treatment of T1D, offering a proactive approach to delay disease progression. Tzield is the first and only therapy approved that can delay the onset of stage 3 T1D.
Tzield is a CD3-directed antibody. The drug binds to CD3 receptors on T cells, which are immune cells involved in the autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. By binding to these T cells, teplizumab-mzwv partially deactivates them, reducing the immune response against beta cells and preserving their function for a longer period.
The approval was based on data from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving 76 at-risk individuals with stage 2 T1D. Participants received either Tzield or a placebo once daily via intravenous infusion for 14 days. The primary outcome was the time to development of stage 3 T1D. The trial demonstrated that Tzield significantly delayed the onset of stage 3 T1D compared to placebo. The median time to diagnosis of stage 3 T1D was 50 months in the Tzield group compared to 25 months in the placebo group.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. This leads to insulin deficiency and high blood sugar levels. Stage 3 T1D is characterized by symptomatic hyperglycemia and the need for exogenous insulin. The approval of Tzield offers a new approach to managing T1D by delaying the progression to stage 3, potentially reducing the long-term complications associated with the disease.
