Are you a relative of someone with type 1 diabetes?
The crucial screening test is now available to you!
Family members of people with Type 1 Diabetes and LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults) are at a much higher risk for contracting Diabetes themselves. So far, there has never been a way to medically prevent Diabetes in our family.
Many of our family members have had blood tests positive for Type 1 Diabetes antibodies, which are the key indicators for the earliest stages of Type 1 Diabetes, but there has never been a way to prevent or delay the eventual onset of Diabetes for them… UNTIL NOW!
We can now do something to stop Type 1 Diabetes in its tracks.
On November 17th, 2022, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a groundbreaking new drug called Tzield ™ (Teplizumab-mzwv). Tzield is the first medication that will effectively prevent full-blown Type 1 Diabetes in family members at high risk.
Specifically, Tzield can protect people with positive antibody testing and early signs of abnormal blood sugar from going on to develop Diabetes. The challenge we now face is finding people in our families who are most at risk for Type 1 Diabetes, so we can offer Tzield treatment to delay or potentially prevent diabetes for them permanently.
WHAT IS THE TREATMENT?
Tzield is an IV medication given once per day for just 14 days (2 weeks). It is generally well tolerated, with some minor side effects that can be monitored. After the initial 14-day treatment there are no further treatments required. This short course of treatment is sufficient to “reprogram” the immune system for years on end so that it stops attacking the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
MORE ABOUT THE TZIELD STUDY
The pivotal clinical trial for Tzield focused on preventing Diabetes among family members of people with Type 1 Diabetes/LADA. Family members who were found to have Type 1 Diabetes antibodies and mildly elevated blood sugar were treated once per day for 14 days with Tzield or a Placebo. For the 5 years after receiving Tzield, just 43% developed Diabetes vs 72% who received the placebo, a remarkable 60% reduction in Diabetes risk. In addition, for the Tzield-treated family members who did develop Diabetes, it took much longer: over 4 years until onset of Diabetes for Tzield-treated people vs 2 years for the placebo group; so, they had 2 more years of life without Diabetes due to Tzield!
As a service to you, Diabetes & Endocrine Treatment Specialists (DETS) will coordinate laboratory testing. We will send orders to your preferred in-network laboratory where insurance should cover these tests for you, which consist of laboratory blood work and a Glucose Tolerance Test. We will then follow up and review the results with you. We recommend testing only for those aged 8 years or older. Parents of younger family members should check with their pediatrician. We recommend this testing for your children, parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, and first cousins. Tell them about this wonderful opportunity to protect their health!
To arrange for the testing, please contact our office call or text 801-816-1010, or email Tzield@DETSutah.com. When texting or emailing, please specifically mention “Tzield” so we can get your message to the right team members.