Georgia teenager among first patients to receive type 1 diabetes-delaying treatment

COLUMBUS, Ga. — A 15-year-old from West Georgia is among the first patients on Earth to receive a medical treatment to delay type 1 diabetes.

According to Piedmont Columbus Regional, Ella Velez is one of the first people to be treated with TZIELD infusions, a prescription meant to prevent the body’s autoimmune process from interfering in insulin production.

The drug infusions are reported to delay the onset of type 1 diabetes by between two and seven years, and Piedmont Columbus Regional says it is one of the first facilities in the United States that is able to offer this treatment to patients.

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“The full-blown clinical onset of type 1 diabetes can have a major impact on someone’s life; that is the onset of type I diabetes when a person becomes symptomatic, and the progression of the condition is not reversible,” Dr. Steven Leichter, an endocrinologist, said. “People in Stage 3 will need insulin for the rest of their lives because your body can’t make enough of it on its own, so more time can help you prepare for the future.”

Ella Velez gets infusions of TZIELD at Piedmont Columbus for 14 days in a row. The hospital said in a statement that in fall 2024, the Bill and Olivia Amos Children’s Hospital will be able to provide the treatment as part of its routine medical services.

She and her family are no strangers to diabetes. Her 14-year-old brother Alex was diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic, according to her family.

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Ella’s family said she was tested for autoantibodies after her brother’s diagnosis and tested positive. After two years, the family said her condition started to decline to a point where she was at risk of becoming diabetic.

“Alex, who is 14 years old, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in December 2019, and participated in clinical trials for this treatment after his diagnosis,” explained Ella’s father, Luis Velez.

“I’m just your regular teenage girl— I’m an active gymnast, involved in my church and I enjoy being homeschooled,” Ella said. “I am the recipient of the work my brother put in, and I am forever grateful to him and the entire staff at Piedmont for making this possible.”

According to Piedmont, TZIELD is a treatment meant for patients age eight or older with Stage 2 type 1 diabetes, meaning they had two more type 1 diabetes autoantibodies, abnormal blood sugar levels and do not have type 2 diabetes.

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