Our resource hub is home to a wealth of articles, stories and videos about managing and living with type 1 diabetes.
Place your order for our free information packs that support adults and children who have been recently diagnosed.
Our researchers are working on different ways to develop a cure for type 1 diabetes - from growing insulin-producing beta cells in labs to hacking the immune system.
Learn about the technologies that can deliver insulin automatically when needed. And discover the next generation of insulins that are currently being developed.
You could win a cash prize of up to £25,000 when you play the JDRF lottery. As well as the chance to win great prizes, you’ll also help fund our research to find a cure for type 1 diabetes.
Your donations help support people living with type 1 diabetes today and fund the best treatment and cure research, no matter where in the world it takes place.
The announcement is the biggest treatment breakthrough for type 1 diabetes since the discovery of insulin.
The focus of this event is ‘type 1 technology’ covering aspects such as access, choice, and everyday living with type 1 technology.
We provide a wealth of information and free resources to help you support and empower your patients or students.
Take our free course for schools to learn more about supporting pupils with type 1 diabetes in educational settings.
Home > News & events > News > JDRF calls for AstraZeneca to explain type 1 diabetes drug withdrawal
AstraZeneca last week alerted clinicians that the drug dapagliflozin, also known by its brand name Forxiga, would be withdrawn immediately for type 1 diabetes use in the UK and EU.
The decision could affect up to 2,000 people in the UK with type 1 diabetes, even though, according to AstraZeneca, there are no new safety issues with the drug.
JDRF is now calling on AstraZeneca to clearly explain to people affected by type 1 diabetes why the drug has been withdrawn for use treating that condition. The drug will continue to be available for other conditions including type 2 diabetes.
Dapagliflozin is a once-a-day pill which, when used alongside standard insulin therapy, significantly improves blood glucose management for many people with the life-threatening condition.
The first of its kind to be approved in the UK and EU for adults with type 1 diabetes, it is the only other drug besides insulin that has been licensed in the UK to treat type 1 diabetes.
Its development was one of the biggest advancements in the treatment of type 1 diabetes since the discovery of insulin 100 years ago.
JDRF has long advocated for therapies that can improve the lives of those affected by type 1 diabetes, including treatments such as dapagliflozin. It was made available on the NHS as an ‘adjunct therapy’ to be used alongside insulin for people with type 1 diabetes by NICE in July 2019.
Managing type 1 diabetes with insulin alone is challenging and intensive, leaving a significant physical and mental burden upon the individual. Currently, just 30 per cent of people with type 1 diabetes reach their recommended blood glucose targets, putting them at greater risk of health complications.
Dapagliflozin helps to reduce blood glucose levels by stopping the kidneys from reabsorbing glucose into the body. Instead, excess glucose is passed out in urine. Previous clinical trials showed that, when used alongside insulin, the drug helped people lower their HbA1c levels (a measure of average blood glucose levels) without increasing the incidence of hypoglycaemic events. Keeping HbA1c levels as close to the recommended target of 6.5% as possible is important in preventing long-term type 1 diabetes complications.
Karen Addington, UK Chief Executive of JDRF, said: “Dapagliflozin has been the first drug offered in 100 years since the discovery of insulin that has helped people with type 1 diabetes to manage their condition. It is appalling that it is now being withdrawn, even though many people with type 1 are finding it an effective and useful tool to help manage their glucose levels. JDRF asks AstraZeneca to explain to people in the UK affected by type 1 diabetes the reasons behind this withdrawal.”
Anyone affected by the withdrawal of dapagliflozin should contact their healthcare professional.
We wrote to the producers of the hit BBC show after they broadcast jokes about type 1 diabetes.
Parliamentary Inquiry chaired by our Global Health Ambassador, Rt. Hon Theresa May MP and Sir George Howarth MP, highlights the risks of type 1 diabetes-related eating disorders (T1DE).
In an historic advancement in the treatment of type 1 diabetes, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) today approves hybrid closed loop for the majority of people living with type 1 diabetes in England and Wales.
