T1D diagnosis & treatment stories

TZIELD Indication for :15 seconds

I am being compensated by Sanofi to share my story.

On-Screen Disclaimer:
John is being compensated for sharing his story in this video.

John is a TZIELD patient. Individual results may vary. Please see Important Safety Information at the conclusion of this video and full Prescribing Information/Medication Guide on the webpage.

I don't need an alarm clock. My day starts at 6:15 A.M. and it's usually the sound of my son's voice, Johnny, saying, "Dad, mom, I'm ready to get up." And so that's the beginning of my day.

Family's important to me. That's where I spend a lot of my time. The weekends are all about going to various activities.

On September 7th, 2022, three days before the birth of my second son, Leo, I was misdiagnosed with type two diabetes.

On-Screen Disclaimer:
Patient stories reflect the real-life experiences of persons diagnosed with Stage 2 T1D who have been prescribed TZIELD. However, individual experiences may vary. Patient stories are not necessarily representative of what another person using TZIELD may experience.

I had gone for some routine blood work. I didn't have any symptoms or anything like that. I remember when I got the blood work back and I spoke with the nurse practitioner and she told me, “John, your numbers are terrible, and you have type two diabetes.” And I remember just being stunned because I didn't know anything about diabetes.

I have no family history of type one or type two diabetes. I've been very active in my life, so to hear this news, it took me completely by surprise.

She told me that I was going to have to eat better and exercise more.

It did not occur to me to question my type two diagnosis. I took it upon myself to realize, "Hey, this is something that I can control and if I control my diet and exercise, I can resolve this."

Within three months, my A1C was down considerably. And I was like, “Hey, I did it. I knocked it out. It’s going to be smooth from now on. I know what I need to do.”

The ability to use my exercise and nutrition was short-lived. After that first A1C in which I was able to get it down, it seemed like no matter what I was doing, that I wasn't able to have the same control that I had had in those first three months.

I was getting frustrated with the results that I was having. So one day, I called my brother-in-law who’s a doctor in Omaha, Nebraska, and I asked him what I should do and I told him my story. And he told me, “John, it’s time to get a second opinion.”

And so, six months to the day of my misdiagnosis with type 2 diabetes, I made that call to a primary care physician.

The doctor tested me for type one diabetes-related autoantibodies. I tested positive for multiple, and I had high glycemic levels. And that proved that I was actually in stage two type 1 diabetes.

I remember asking, "Is there anything that I can do treatment-wise for my type one diabetes?" And I remember her saying, "I think you might be a good candidate for this TZIELD.”

On-Screen Indication

What is TZIELD?

TZIELD is a prescription medicine used to delay the onset of Stage 3 type 1 diabetes, which is when your body can’t make enough insulin on its own and may require insulin injections. TZIELD is for adults and children 8 years of age and older who have Stage 2 type 1 diabetes. This means that they have tested positive for 2 or more type 1 diabetes-related autoantibodies, have abnormal blood sugar levels and do not have type 2 diabetes. It is not known if TZIELD is safe and effective in children under 8 years of age.

I was really excited about it because I had done some research and thought maybe this might be an option for me.

In my follow up conversation with my endocrinologist, I asked her about side effects.

My doctor explained that the most common side effects were rash, leukopenia, which is a decrease in white blood cell count, and headache. I also learned that Tzield may cause serious side effects, including cytokine release syndrome and lymphopenia, which is a decrease in white blood cells.

On-Screen Disclaimer:
The most common side effects of TZIELD include rash, leukopenia (decrease in white blood cell counts) and headache. TZIELD may cause serious side effects, including cytokine release syndrome and lymphopenia, which is a decrease in white blood cells.

I learned that TZIELD would take place over 14 days with daily infusions.

On-Screen Disclaimer:
Your healthcare provider will do blood tests to check your liver and your complete blood counts before you start treatment and during treatment with TZIELD.

I knew this wasn’t a cure, but that it could delay the onset of stage 3 type 1 diabetes when insulin is needed. I was the first person in my endocrinologist's clinic to go on TZIELD, so it took a little bit of time to get things going.

Fortunately, I visited the TZIELD website and got connected with the COMPASS Navigator program. Within a day of me reaching out, I had a phone conversation with a Navigator and she was so helpful. She was able to explain to me about the process, help me understand the paperwork needed, got connected with my endocrinologist clinic and helped me understand the timelines of what things looked like next.

I had my first TZIELD treatment on August 18th, 2023.

On-Screen Disclaimer:
TZIELD is given by a healthcare provider through a needle placed in a vein (intravenous infusion) in your arm.

On-Screen:
For the first 5 days of treatment, your healthcare provider will give you medicines by mouth before starting your TZIELD infusion. These medicines include ibuprofen, naproxen or other pain relievers such as acetaminophen, an antihistamine, and an anti-nausea medicine. These medicines may help reduce symptoms of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) such as a fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, or nausea.

During the first five or six days, I did feel a little more tired than usual.

I also had some nausea after day five or six, and I also experienced the rash.

My oldest son came by for one of the infusions, so it was a chance for me to share with him what was going on for my infusions. So that was a special time for us.

On-Screen:
Individual results may vary.

In terms of the TZIELD results, for me, this meant more time for me to get comfortable with the idea of this diagnosis, be able to understand my body a little bit more and get comfortable with the idea of one day having to go on insulin.

Full indication and ISI with voiceover

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