O-12: Real-World experiences with teplizumab in clinical practice: perspectives from US pediatric endocrinologists
K Hood, S Mehta, S Bialo, T Dex, M Graf, R Murphy, N BleibdreyAbstract
Introduction
Teplizumab (TPZ) is the first therapy approved to delay progression from Stage 2 (s2) to Stage 3 (s3) T1D through immunomodulation of the autoimmune process. However, little is known about TPZ use in real-world (RW) pediatric practices.
Objectives
To explore pediatric endocrinologist (HCP) experiences with TPZ administration in pediatric settings in the US, to inform best practices, optimize workflows, and improve patient outcomes.
Methods
HCPs who completed at least one TPZ infusion were invited to participate in a 1-hour semi-structured interview between October 2025 and February 2026, that included elements of the Clinical Sustainability Assessment Tool (CSAT), designed to evaluate sustainability in healthcare settings. Questions considered initiation of treatment with TPZ, care coordination and operational logistics, adverse event mitigation, and future care models. Interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis and participant characteristics were summarized descriptively.
Results
Qualitative findings from 19 HCPs identified 5 main themes: 1) HCPs are motivated to administer TPZ due to perceived benefits of delaying diabetes onset; 2) HCPs viewed benefits from TPZ treatment persisting post-progression to s3. Some HCPs perceived a milder disease course following progression after treatment with TPZ; 3) Primary challenges of TPZ operationalization included insurance approval and coordination of infusion options; 4) HCPs hoped for regulatory expansion of indications to younger patients and those with s1 and s3; 5) HCPs thought the clinical value of TPZ outweighed operational challenges and expressed optimism about expanding future uses. Table 1 contains CSAT results.
Conclusions
This study provides insights into RW TPZ infusion experiences in pediatric settings, highlighting key benefits of TPZ, facilitators and barriers to adoption, operationalization challenges, and promising future directions.