- How much is currently spent, and what do I want it increased to?
In a parliamentary answer published in December 2024, the Government reported that UK Research and Innovation committed to type 1 diabetes research across 2023 and 2024. The National Institute for Health and Care Research also spent £5.2 million on type 1 diabetes research in 2023/24.
My petition calls for increased, dedicated public funding for research into a potential functional cure, including promising approaches such as tegoprubart alongside other scientific avenues. I want the Government to establish the current level of cure-focused funding and commit to a substantial increase, rather than allow potentially life-changing research to remain underfunded.
- Why aren't pharmaceutical companies investing if the research is so promising?
Some are investing. Eledon Pharmaceuticals is developing tegoprubart, and its research is progressing towards further clinical trials. In June 2026, the company reported that all 12 participants in a small islet-transplant study had achieved insulin independence. These early results are encouraging, but larger trials and longer follow-up are needed before we know how well this approach works more widely.
- How much is currently spent, and what do I want it increased to?
In a parliamentary answer published in December 2024, the Government reported that UK Research and Innovation committed to type 1 diabetes research across 2023 and 2024. The National Institute for Health and Care Research also spent £5.2 million on type 1 diabetes research in 2023/24. These are different funding measures and periods, so they shouldn't simply be added together as an annual total. "Source: UK Parliament" (questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-12-02/17252/)
Unfortunately, there isn't a single published figure I can point to for how much the UK currently spends specifically on research into a functional cure for type 1 diabetes.
My petition calls for increased, dedicated public funding for research into a potential functional cure, including promising approaches such as tegoprubart alongside other scientific avenues. I want the Government to establish the current level of cure-focused funding and commit to a substantial increase, rather than allow potentially life-changing research to remain underfunded.
- Why aren't pharmaceutical companies investing if the research is so promising?
Some are investing. Eledon Pharmaceuticals is developing tegoprubart, and its research is progressing towards further clinical trials. In June 2026, the company reported that all 12 participants in a small islet-transplant study had achieved insulin independence. These early results are encouraging, but larger trials and longer follow-up are needed before we know how well this approach works more widely. "Source: Eledon Pharmaceuticals" (www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/06/08/3307947/0/en/eledon-announces-updated-data-from-investigator-initiated-islet-transplant-trial-of-tegoprubart-in-patients-with-type-1-diabetes-t1d-at-uchicago-medicine.html)
The difficulty is that developing treatments is expensive, takes years and carries a substantial risk of failure. A functional cure may also require several technologies to work together, including replacing insulin-producing cells and protecting them from immune attack. Transplant approaches face additional challenges, including donor-cell availability and the risks of immunosuppression.
That is precisely why I believe public funding matters. Research shouldn't depend entirely on whether a company can see a commercial return. Public investment can support early-stage science, clinical trials and alternative approaches that might otherwise struggle to attract sufficient funding.
My aim isn't to fund only one drug or company. It's to encourage the UK Government to invest more in the full range of credible research that could bring us closer to a functional cure for type 1 diabetes.
The difficulty is that developing treatments is expensive, takes years and carries a substantial risk of failure. A functional cure may also require several technologies to work together, including replacing insulin-producing cells and protecting them from immune attack. Transplant approaches face additional challenges, including donor-cell availability and the risks of immunosuppression.
That is precisely why I believe public funding matters. Research shouldn't depend entirely on whether a company can see a commercial return. Public investment can support early-stage science, clinical trials and alternative approaches that might otherwise struggle to attract sufficient funding.
My aim isn't to fund only one drug or company. It's to encourage the UK Government to invest more in the full range of credible research that could bring us closer to a functional cure for type 1 diabetes.