Piedmont Columbus Regional held a press conference to announce a breakthrough medical treatment for diabetes after years of service, research and clinical trials.

Ella Velez, a 15-year-old girl from west Georgia, is among the first pediatric patients in the world to receive the TZIELD infusion, the first prescription drug to interfere with the body’s autoimmune process and delay the onset of type 1 diabetes by two to seven years. The Food and Drug Administration officially licensed TZIELD in spring 2023.

Endocrinologist Steven Leichter, M.D., who seems to have done it all in his career that spans over 50 years, was at the center of this latest medical breakthrough and explains its significance.

“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. Leichter explains. “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 received infusions at Piedmont Columbus Regional Midtown for 14 consecutive days. Piedmont Columbus Regional Midtown, which will be home to the freestanding Bill and Olivia Amos Children’s Hospital in fall 2024, is one of the first medical facilities in the country with the capability to offer this treatment; the new freestanding children’s hospital will have the capability to offer this infusion treatment as part of its routine medical services.

“I’m proud Piedmont’s experienced team of clinicians played a huge part in fostering this medical advancement of the future for everyone across the globe,” Piedmont Columbus Regional CEO Scott Hill said. “Families in the southeast who are in need of this advanced treatment for a loved one now don’t have to travel across the country to receive it.”

Ella’s family has a very tight-knit relationship, and this journey actually started with her brother, Alex.

“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.

After her brother’s clinical trial, Ella was tested for autoantibodies, and one appeared. She was monitored for nearly two years and her condition began to decline to where she was at risk for developing diabetes.

“I’m just your regular teenage girl— I’m an active gymnast, involved in my church and I enjoy being homeschooled,” Ella shares. “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.”

Piedmont Columbus Regional is the first medical facility in the nation to develop a collaborative strategy to screen patients who may be candidates for this treatment.

“Working with other local health care resources, Piedmont Columbus Regional developed a strategy to implement protocols that can be used nationwide to identify candidates to receive this infusion before they get diabetes. Columbus is the first city in the world to implement this strategy,” Dr. Leichter explains.

TZIELD is for people ages eight and older who have Stage 2 type 1 diabetes. This means they have tested positive for having two or more type I diabetes-related autoantibodies (proteins that show up in the blood when beta cells are attacked), have abnormal blood sugar levels and do not have type 2 diabetes. There is now vigorous research going on with TZIELD and other experimental agents to see how the onset of type 1 diabetes can be delayed further.  

People with a family history of type 1 diabetes can be up to 15 times more likely to develop it at any age. If you think you may be at risk, talk to your primary care physician about getting a diabetes screening.