For almost 100 years we have had insulin to offer to our patients with Type 1. That has been our best option. The glass vials and syringes have been replaced with plastic disposable pens and for some even insulin infusion pumps but it is all still just insulin. So is there light at the end of this long tunnel?

Thankfully, there are some extremely passionate researchers and scientists and dedicated pharmaceutical companies who are working on trials to develop other options. This research does take years and millions of dollars of time and expertise. And for a good reason – we want to ensure the utmost safety and efficacy of these pharmaceuticals when they reach the open market.

Without giving the game away and raising hopes too much some of the newer drugs include oral medications that may be able to control blood glucose levels in type 1. So instead of injecting insulin all the time, perhaps we will be able to rely on daily tablets that can do the same job. Other options may include a weekly or even once daily injection rather than multiple daily injections to control blood glucose levels. Further studies are also being conducted on a cellular and genetic level to see if we can halt the process of diabetes and switch on the production of insulin from the pancreas. Perhaps it will be possible to find other B-cells in the body outside of the pancreas that can produce insulin? Other teams are working on looking at what actually causes diabetes and if we can prevent it from occurring or predict the onset. Can we offer medication to prevent the progression of the disease and be able to manage it more effectively in the earlier stages?

For the meantime we remain reliant on multiple daily injections and perhaps infusion pumps for the luckier few. But don’t lose hope as the tunnel is getting shorter and shorter all the time!