It is expected that 15 therapeutics will launch in the Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) market in the eight major markets (8MM*) before 2030. They include Adocia’s BioChaperone Insulin lispro, an ultra-fast prandial insulin; Zealand Pharma’s dasiglucagon, a liquid-stable glucagon to manage hypoglycemia for use in a bihormonal pump; and Provention Bio’s teplizumab, the first preventative therapeutic for T1D. Despite this robust pipeline, there are still considerably high unmet needs within the space, all of which relate to the lack of a disease-modifying therapeutic that combats the autoimmune-mediated attack of beta cells in T1D patients, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData’s recent report, ‘Type 1 Diabetes Global Market Forecast and Analysis’, reveals that over the next 10 years, the T1D pipeline is set to deliver innovative therapies that aim to improve disease management. These include novel second-generation insulin analogs, adjunct therapies, and the first disease-modifying therapeutics for T1D.

Samisha Khangaonkar, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Therapeutics that focus on the preservation of the remaining beta cells are becoming more critical for the long-term management of T1D. T1D patients with residual beta cell function require smaller doses of insulin, which can improve side effects and compliance. While many of these disease-modifying therapeutics are far from a cure for T1D, their effects may still have a significant impact on the long-term prognosis for T1D patients.”

Advances in insulin therapies such as the development of insulin analogs, novel/targeted approaches to administration, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), and novel pens and devices for administration have all contributed to the improved treatment of T1D patients. However, even with these advances, the majority of T1D patients do not achieve the glycemic targets set by national and international guidelines. As such, the overall quality of life of a T1D patient has not improved, and the life expectancy is still 10–15 years less than the healthy population.

Khangaonkar continues: “It is disappointing that hypoglycemia and weight gain are still risks associated with all insulin therapies, and the threat of hypoglycemia as a consequence of poor glycemic control poses a major barrier to optimizing glycemic control in T1D patients.

“The need for a treatment that lowers blood glucose to the target levels without causing hypoglycemic events or weight gain is still one of the largest unmet needs in T1D treatment. Increased compliance and targeted patient education are additional unmet needs that have significant impacts on patient care, and are aspects of treatment often overlooked by drug developers.”

*8MM (US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, Japan, and Canada)