Jack Thiessen is one of two youths in Canada taking the newly approved medication<\/p>\n
A newly approved Health Canada diabetes medication that has been shown to delay the clinical onset of Type 1 diabetes has been put through its first round of treatments with two BC youths, one of whom\u00a0lives\u00a0in Prince George.<\/p>\n
The medication,\u00a0Teplizumab,\u00a0has been shown to target the immune system in patients with early-stage Type 1 diabetes, delaying the process that destroys insulin-producing cells.<\/p>\n
Although this is not a cure, it can allow for those at risk of developing Type 1 diabetes to prepare\u00a0and postpone the need for insulin injections, reducing the likelihood of severe complications.<\/p>\n
The medication has not been publicly funded yet and is currently restricted to patients identified as part of a research-clinical collaboration.<\/p>\n
Teplizumab was administered daily to two patients through intravenous (IV) infusions at BC Children\u2019s over two weeks and was carefully monitored by a team of physicians and clinical staff.<\/p>\n
This was the first time in Canada that this medication could be administered continuously in a child-friendly hospital setting.<\/p>\n
Dr. Dina Panagiotopoulos, pediatric endocrinologist at BC Children\u2019s Hospital, identified the two BC youths who would first receive this medication through a research screening program she led.<\/p>\n
She spoke to The Citizen about what makes this new medication unique.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s the only drug right now that’s approved by Health Canada to delay the progression of Stage 2 Type 1 diabetes to Stage 3 Type 1 diabetes,” she said. “That’s what makes it innovative right now, and we’re excited about the fact that we were able to treat the first two kids in Canada with this drug.”<\/p>\n
Panagiotopoulos also noted that this medication is especially important to young people as Type 1 diabetes can present with a life-threatening condition called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)\u00a0in 40-60 per cent of pediatric cases.<\/p>\n
She shared what the trial stage of the medication looked like and how they knew the medication would be effective.<\/p>\n
\u201cStudies that were done on Teplizumab were where they took a group of people who had Stage\u00a02 and gave them the drug for 14 consecutive days, and then they followed them over time and looked at how many of them get clinical Stage 3 Type 1 diabetes,” she explained. “What that showed is that in the people who got the drug versus the people who got a placebo, they were able to delay the progression to this Stage 3 Type 1 diabetes for an average of a median of two years,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
A delay in the progression of diabetes from Stage 2 to Stage 1 can make all the difference in the world for someone suffering, as Panagiotopoulos explains.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can never forget about having Type 1 diabetes, not even for one day. You have to constantly be vigilant, and giving those insulin injections can lead to low blood sugars, and those low blood sugars can be quite severe, where kids can become confused or unconscious,” she said. “Delaying that progression means that the child can have a more normal life for a longer period of time, and basically lead to less stress on everyone’s part.\u201d<\/p>\n
For one Prince George family, the Thiessens, diabetes has become a part of their everyday lives, with\u00a0relatives on both sides dealing with the effects and treatments of the disease.<\/p>\n
Jack Thiessen, 17,\u00a0has been part of a study that closely monitored the development of the stage of his diabetes and was chosen for\u00a0Teplizumab\u00a0treatments.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the summer of 2025, he entered Stage 2 and then became at risk of developing Stage 1 of the disease. Then\u00a0Teplizumab was approved by Health Canada and he was chosen as one of the first youths in Canada to receive the treatment.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy brother and my dad both have grown up with it,” Thiessen said. “My dad was diagnosed at\u00a012, and my brother was diagnosed at 13 months. It changes your life. It’s an everyday, all-day thing that you have to monitor and be aware of what you eat and do the correct amount of insulin and exercise. You’ve got to be really careful and be aware of what’s going on.”<\/p>\n
He described what it felt like to be one of two people receiving first-in-Canada treatments.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is very intimidating,” he said. “I didn’t really know what to expect. I was obviously very intrigued because I knew we’d been monitoring this for years. We were kind of at the point where I’d realized that it was almost inevitable that I was going to develop Type 1. Once we\u00a0heard about this, we did lots and lots of research,\u00a0and then I was super-excited.”<\/p>\n
Thiessen, along with his mother,\u00a0Taryn, were sent to BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver to undergo the treatment. They stayed at\u00a0Ronald McDonald House\u00a0while he underwent prep, blood work and eventually had the treatment.<\/p>\n
He\u00a0described the process as non-intrusive and detailed what the two weeks of treatment looked like.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery day for 14 days we would show up at the hospital at 8 a.m.,\u201d he said. “And they would hook me up to the IV machine and give me some pre-meds, pre-medications, just in case I was allergic and just in case some of the side effects hit me. Then\u00a0we would sit there while it did medication drift through the IV machine.”<\/p>\n
Currently, it is too early in Thiessen’s treatment to determine if the medication is taking effect or not. However, he and his family will continue to monitor his condition.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’m looking forward to seeing if it worked and looking further into the future of this treatment and seeing what the other possibilities are,” he said. “They were talking about just the possibilities, maybe you can take it again and just keep delaying it. But they just, they don’t know right now.”<\/p>\n
Research into the\u00a0medication and its effects is ongoing, with Panagiotopoulos putting out the call for more people to participate in her study.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you’re a first-degree relative and you’re between the ages of 2 and 45, of someone with Type\u00a01 diabetes, or a second-degree relative of someone with Type\u00a01 diabetes and you’re between the ages of two\u00a0and 20, you’re eligible to participate in my study,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
However, there are a few things to keep in mind before you apply.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“There’s a bit of a workup and you need to have a preparatory time before you’re eligible,” she said. “I think the other provinces are also gearing up to identify and treat people. Right now, the drug isn’t approved for use under the age of eight.”<\/p>\n
If you screen positive with two or more auto-antibodies, Panagiotopoulos would then arrange more detailed glucose testing. if you meet those criteria, then Teplizumab or a variety of other options can be offered.<\/p>\n