Dr Robert Gabbay Discusses Inclusion of Teplizumab in the ADA’s Living Standards of Care

A number of important studies need to be recognized and reflected in updated diabetes guidelines, said Robert A. Gabbay, MD, PhD, the chief science and medical officer at the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

Transcript

Can you discuss the update for the Classification and Diagnosis of Diabetes, based on recent studies of teplizumab?

One of the things that we've been doing now for a few years is because diabetes, the field is moving so rapidly that we can't wait a whole year to be able to publish a new set of guidelines, because literally there are significant changes happening in between. That's why we've moved to this Living Standard model. The latest update from January until now was released because there were a number of important studies that needed to be recognized. One is around the role of teplizumab and the data from those studies that suggest delaying the onset of diabetes, on average 2 years, which, clinically, if you speak to any parent of a child with type 1 diabetes (T1D) or an individual with T1D, not having diabetes for 2 years matters. The guidelines reflect that new data and the opportunity to consider screening for T1D, for when the time comes when this drug will be available on the market, which we anticipate will be not too far away, based on recent FDA advisory group recommendations.