If you have type 1 diabetes, you might be interested in the latest treatments that are easier to use and can better control your blood glucose (sugar). New treatments for type 1 diabetes are being developed that help control blood sugar levels with easy-to-use delivery systems. Here, we’ll discuss the new treatments and recent developments in type 1 diabetes research and what they could mean for you.

Type 1 Diabetes Disease-Modifying Therapy

In 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a medication called teplizumab-mzwv (Tzield) to help slow the progression of type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, which means the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy cells.

Indicated for adults and children ages 8 and older, teplizumab-mzwv is what’s known as a disease-modifying treatment (DMT). ”Disease-modifying” means the drug doesn’t just treat ongoing type 1 diabetes symptoms — it can slow, stop, and even reverse the autoimmune course of the disease.

Insulin Advances

Insulin was discovered more than 100 years ago and is the main treatment for type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes occurs when insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas are destroyed. This is why people with type 1 diabetes don’t make enough of their own insulin. Insulin supplementation comes in two main forms, an insulin pump or insulin injection. These treatments help manage blood glucose levels.

Smart Insulin

In 2017, the FDA approved the first smart insulin pen. Smart insulin was introduced as a type 1 diabetes treatment that allows faster glucose control. Smart insulin is just like insulin that is found naturally in your body. It can copy the way your body’s natural insulin works to keep blood sugar levels within a normal range. With smart insulin, you won’t need frequent insulin injections.

Glucose-responsive insulin is a promising type of smart insulin that releases insulin when blood sugar levels are high. This type of insulin helps keep blood sugar under control.

Affordable Insulin

Many people struggle with the cost of insulin. Civica Rx has made insulin more accessible and affordable. The company offers an insulin treatment that costs no more than $30 for one vial or $55 for a pack of five pens, regardless of what insurance the buyer has, if any. A year following the release of Civica Rx, other insulin suppliers — including Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi — announced price reductions for their insulins.

Blood Pressure Medication

Did you ever think taking a blood pressure medication could benefit your type 1 diabetes? Researchers found that children and teenagers who took verapamil — a drug used to treat high blood pressure — were producing more insulin one year following a type 1 diabetes diagnosis than those who took a placebo. This is because the drug appeared to make their beta cells — which are found in the pancreas and make insulin — more productive. More research is needed, but this treatment shows promise.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapies are treatments for type 1 diabetes that help control the body’s immune system. This approach prevents it from damaging insulin-producing beta cells. This, in turn, can improve insulin production in people with type 1 diabetes. In one study, researchers used CD-3 antibodies to destroy T cells that attack beta cells as type 1 diabetes progresses. This treatment helped preserve beta-cell function in people with type 1 diabetes.

Turbo-Boosting Cell Therapies

Turbo-boosting cell therapies work by adding healthy insulin-producing beta cells into the bodies of people with type 1 diabetes. These therapies use stem cells and cell therapies to replace damaged beta cells that aren’t producing insulin. The main goal is to help stabilize blood sugar levels in the body.

One example of this type of therapy is stem cell-derived islet replacement therapy. In clinical trials, it helped one person stop using insulin completely to treat their type 1 diabetes. This treatment uses stem cells, cells that can make more and more of themselves and even become other cells in the body. Islet cells are cells found in the pancreas, including beta cells.

In June 2023, the FDA approved the use of the first allogeneic (from a donor) cell therapy in the U.S. for low glucose levels, donislecel (Lantidra).

New Management Technologies for Type 1 Diabetes

New technology in diabetes management can make it easier for people with type 1 diabetes not to worry so much about counting carbohydrates, and it also helps them give the right amount of insulin more accurately.

In just the past year, the FDA has approved artificial pancreas systems, also called closed-loop pancreas systems. These systems use a continuous glucose monitor and an insulin pump to deliver insulin when needed. Artificial pancreas systems can improve blood sugar control.

Examples of these artificial pancreas systems include the following:

• The iLet Insulin-Only Bionic Pancreas System is approved for use in people 6 years or older. Once a user inputs their weight into the system, it determines and releases the required amount of insulin.
• The MiniMed 670G is approved for people ages 6 to 13 years and was the first-ever FDA-approved method of automated insulin dosing. This tool helps keep people with type 1 diabetes in their desired blood glucose range, even at night.
• The MiniMed 780G is approved for adults and children 7 years and up. It provides doses and corrections to blood glucose levels every five minutes.
• The Tidepool Loop is an app for iPhones that is used in combination with an insulin pump or continuous glucose monitor. This technology also allows for accurate dosing of insulin with the use of an Apple Watch.
• The t:slim X2 insulin pump with Control-IQ Technology is approved for adults and children 14 years or older. It can predict glucose levels 30 minutes in advance to deliver the appropriate dose of insulin using the continuous glucose monitor. This system can correct dosages once per hour to help regulate blood sugar.
• The Dexcom G7 is a continuous glucose monitor system that sends real-time blood glucose measurements to a user’s smartphone every five minutes. Once applied to a person’s skin, the waterproof sensor will continuously monitor their glucose levels for up to 10 days. The user will then need to replace it with a new one to continue monitoring.

These recent advancements in type 1 diabetes technology help to make daily life easier. Read more about specific medications in this list of treatments for type 1 diabetes.

Work with your health care team to find the best course of treatment for your type 1 diabetes. Staying updated on these technologies can also give you more confidence in managing your condition. It’s important to have regular discussions with your doctors to tailor your treatment plan as new options become available.

Find Your Team

On myT1Dteam, the site for people with type 1 diabetes and their loved ones, more than 2,000 people come together to learn more about type 1 diabetes and share their stories with others who understand life with the condition.

Have new type 1 diabetes treatments helped you? Has the way your doctor advises you to manage your type 1 diabetes changed in recent years? Share your thoughts in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.