First UK patient given groundbreaking diabetes drug

A patient has become the first in the UK to receive a pioneering drug designed to delay the onset of Type 1 diabetes.

Annette Quilter, from Shropshire, received the first NHS dose of Teplizumab at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB) this week.

The treatment can delay the progression of early-stage Type 1 diabetes, potentially giving patients more time before they need to start taking insulin.

The 42-year-old, who was diagnosed with Stage 2 Type 1 diabetes in the summer, was identified as eligible following screening and assessment.

A GP and mother of three, she said the diagnosis had come as a shock.

"Luckily, it was picked up early enough for this new treatment to be an option for me, the team here have worked really hard to make it happen quickly," she said.

"To have a little bit of breathing space before I need to start insulin, and time to prepare for that, means a great deal."

Type 1 diabetes is caused when the body's own immune system starts attacking the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

It is different from the type 2 form of the disease, which is often - but not always - associated with being overweight.

People with type 1 diabetes must monitor their blood glucose levels and administer insulin, either through injections or a pump, to replace the hormone their bodies can no longer produce enough of.

Teplizumab works by slowing the immune system's destruction of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

Research trials have shown it can halve the rate at which patients progress to requiring insulin.

The treatment involves one infusion a day for 14 consecutive days, with each taking about 30 minutes, followed by a period of observation.

It has been available through the NHS since June 2026 for eligible children aged over eight and adults with Stage 2 Type 1 diabetes.

The University of Birmingham team involved in the research described it as the milestone that followed years of research into early detection and treatment.

Dr Danijela Tatovic said: "For the first time, we have a treatment that can delay progression to insulin-requiring Type 1 Diabetes, offering patients and their families valuable additional time before the condition develops further."

Matthew Metcalfe, hospital executive director at QEHB, said Birmingham had been at the forefront of diabetes research for many years and praised the collaboration between clinicians, researchers and NHS organisations.

"We are incredibly proud to have treated the first patient in the UK with Teplizumab at QEHB and to now be able to offer this pioneering treatment to eligible patients."

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