The first adult to trial a groundbreaking drug for type one diabetes has just started treatment in Devon.

Dentist and mum of two Hannah Robinson discovered during pregnancy she was in the early stages of developing Type 1 diabetes.

She hopes taking the drug could mean extending the time before she needs to take regular insulin injections by up to three years.

Around 4.6 million people in the UK have diabetes, with over 270,000 living with type one. There is currently no cure, and most individuals need daily insulin to manage blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of complications.

Hannah, aged 36, from Exeter, said: “I’ve learned a lot about type 1 diabetes since my diagnosis and what this means for my future. For me, this new drug offers more freedom and the chance to focus on my health before I have to start thinking differently and managing life as somebody needing daily insulin.

“This isn’t just about what I eat or monitoring my glucose, it is also about having more control and not feeling defined by my condition. This treatment could potentially pave the way for a future cure for type 1 diabetes, which is incredible. I feel very lucky to be part of this.”

In type one diabetes, the immune system attacks beta cells in the pancreas, hindering their ability to produce insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels. If blood sugar is too high or low, it can cause serious health problems.

The new drug, Teplizumab, trains the immune system to stop attacking these cells, delaying the need for insulin by up to three years. However, it must be given at the earliest stage of the disease to be effective.

Type one diabetes can develop at any age. Teplizumab is approved in the USA and is now being used in a small number of children and young people in the UK at the earliest stage of the disease. Hannah is the first adult in the UK to receive this ground-breaking treatment.

Dr Nick Thomas, the diabetes consultant treating Hannah at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital and academic clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter, said: “This new treatment represents a really exciting shift in how we manage type one diabetes. For the first time ever, we will be able to provide targeted treatment early enough in the process to alter the underlying immune process, aiming to slow down how quickly people need insulin.”

The research is supported by the NIHR Exeter Biomedical Research Centre and the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Sustainable Innovation, and the NIHR Exeter Clinical Research Facility, all run in partnership between the Royal Devon and the University of Exeter.

If you are interested in research that can help identify the risk of developing type 1 diabetes, there are two trials currently open to recruitment: the ELSA study for children, and the T1DRA study for adults.