Type 1 diabetes: The European Union approves a first disease-modifying treatment

The European Commission has just approved the marketing in the European Union of a Sanofi treatment, called "Teizeild," which slows the progression of type 1 diabetes, the French pharmaceutical giant announced in a press release on January 12, 2026. With this approval, Teizeild becomes " the first modifying treatment "of type 1 diabetes" approved in the EU" , Sanofi specifies.

The authorization covers the treatment of adults and children over eight years of age with stage 2 type 1 diabetes. Administered by infusion, it does not cure the disease but slows its progression by suppressing the autoimmune reaction. It acts when diabetes is detectable but before the onset of symptoms, thus halting its progression to the clinical stage of the disease (stage 3), which requires insulin injections to lower blood glucose levels.

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Approval of the treatment by the European Commission is based on positive results "from a study (TN-10) which demonstrates the ability of the Teizeild monoclonal antibody to delay the onset of stage 3 of type 1 diabetes" with a median duration of approximately two years compared to placebo" explains Sanofi in its press release. At the end of the study, " The proportion of patients who remained at stage 2 of (type 1 diabetes) was almost twice as high in the Teizeild group as in the placebo group (57 % vs 28 %)" , Sanofi specifies.

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A multi-billion dollar market

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In 2023, Sanofi acquired the American biotech company Provention Bio for $2.9 billion, with a view to strengthening its position in diabetes and against immune diseases.

The type 1 diabetes market in the seven major markets is projected to reach $9.9 billion by 2033, driven by the arrival of several late-stage products, including immunomodulatory agents. The United States will largely dominate this market, accounting for up to 91.61 TFPs in 2033, according to GlobalData, a market research and analysis company.

Until now, Teizeild had already been approved in the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Canada, Israel, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.