Sanofi's Tzield makes its Asia debut during the China International Import Expo in Shanghai in November 2023. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi announced on Tuesday that Tzield, the world's first and only therapy approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for postponing the onset of type 1 diabetes, has been prescribed in Boao, Hainan province, among the first batch in Asia.

The prescription of Tzield, which delays the progression of type 1 diabetes from stage 2 to stage 3 in patients aged 8 or older, marked a breakthrough in the treatment of the disease in China from passive treatment to active intervention, said medical experts.

One of the first recipients of this innovative injection was a woman in her early 20s. She was diagnosed with stage 2 of type 1 diabetes in a hospital in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. Owing to the policies in the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, she was swiftly referred to a hospital in Boao and has started using the medication.

According to Sanofi, the medicine protects the body's pancreatic islet function at the root cause, with a 14-day continuous usage capable of postponing the onset of type 1 diabetes by nearly three years. This allows patients to gain symptom-free time without the need to be treated with insulin, avoiding irreversible damage caused by sudden severe conditions and reducing psychological and economic impacts on their families.

Shi Wang, president of Sanofi Greater China, said this innovative medicine is a key strategic product for the company across both immunology and diabetes portfolios.

"From the vast population living with type 2 diabetes to those with type 1 diabetes who need greater attention, Sanofi remains focused on meeting patients' unmet medical needs. We will continue to advance innovation, accelerate local access, and work with all partners to help enhance China's type 1 diabetes prevention and care system," he said.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, and patients require lifelong insulin replacement therapy. The latest data by some researchers showed that there were approximately 600,000 type 1 diabetes patients in China, ranking third globally, with a high incidence among children and adolescents aged between 10 and 14.

A total of more than 480 types of innovative medicines that are already on the market abroad but not yet in China have been introduced in the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, allowing Chinese patients to access international cutting-edge therapies and medical technologies without leaving the country.