Drug that delays onset of type 1 diabetes approved in England and Wales

‘For the first time in 100 years, we are moving beyond insulin,’ the Diabetes UK charity said. Photograph: Jeff Moore/PA

The world’s first drug to delay the onset of type 1 diabetes is to be made available on the NHS in England and Wales, in the biggest breakthrough in tackling the disease for more than a century.

Millions of people have type 1 diabetes worldwide, which typically emerges during childhood or adolescence, and occurs when the pancreas makes little or no insulin. Insulin is a hormone the body uses to allow glucose to enter cells to produce energy.