On Tuesday, the type 1 diabetes (T1D) community got a helping hand in their ability to avoid severe hypoglycemia when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first premixed, prefilled liquid glucagon formulation that can be used with either a pre-filled syringe (GVOKE PFS) or an auto-injector (GVOKE HypoPen^TM). Xeris Pharmaceuticals, which created the product to treat severe hypoglycemia, gained approval after multiple clinical studies showed that the drug was safe and effective.

Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, is a daily concern for people with T1D. This condition happens when the body has too little food or too much insulin. Left untreated, acute hypoglycemia can cause seizures, coma and, in some cases, even death. To counteract severe hypoglycemia, a person’s body normally produces the hormone glucagon, which causes the liver to convert stored glucose into useable glucose.

However during an episode of hypoglycemia, people with T1D need glucagon right away. “Current rescue methods, including commercial glucagon kits, are ‘labor-intensive’ and require significant coordination, which a person affected by hypoglycemia is often unable to accomplish,” said Sanjoy Dutta, Ph.D., VP of Research at JDRF. Also a ready-to-use rescue glucagon such as GVOKE may indirectly lead to better long term glucose and psychosocial outcomes since people will not limit their insulin dosing due to fear of imminent or potential hypoglycemia.