Sanofi has said “deal” to Chrissy Teigen. The model, cookbook author and “Deal or No Deal” banker has signed on as a celebrity spokesperson for Sanofi’s push to encourage people to screen early for Type 1 diabetes.
Teigen got a crash course in the risks of undiagnosed Type 1 diabetes when her 6-year-old son, Miles, was hospitalized with complications of the autoimmune disease last year. The family knew nothing about Type 1 diabetes when Miles was diagnosed during an unexpected medical emergency, Teigen said in a Tuesday announcement.
“We were confused and scared when Miles was first diagnosed,” she said in a statement. “There is no doubt in my mind that knowing in advance would have made a positive impact for Miles, me, and our entire family. I want everyone to hear me when I say: stay proactive and talk to your doctor about getting yourself or your loved ones screened for type 1 diabetes today!”
Teigen shared her family’s story in a two-minute video on ScreenForType1.com, a Sanofi website that discusses how to get screened for the condition. Miles’ diagnosis made Teigen feel like she “went from a mom to a doctor overnight,” she said. That experience is why Teigen said she is “begging you: Do this one thing, and screen yourself and your family for Type 1 diabetes.”
Sanofi unveiled Teigen as a celebrity spokesperson for its ongoing Screen For Type 1 movement on T1D Day, commemorated on April 15 every year. Teigen joins musician Usher, journalist Adam Schefter and ultramarathoner Robin Arzón, a trio that Sanofi signed up in 2023, on the list of spokespeople for the initiative.
The French drugmaker moved deeper into Type 1 diabetes two years ago by acquiring Provention Bio for $2.9 billion. The buyout gave Sanofi full ownership of Tzield, an immunotherapy that delays progression of Type 1 diabetes and received FDA approval in 2022.
Sanofi reported (PDF) Tzield sales of 54 million euros ($61 million) last year. The company cited ongoing efforts to increase awareness and screening as a driver of the sequential increase in sales between the third and fourth quarters.