ViaCyte to Participate in International Pancreas & Islet Transplantation Association Virtual Congress

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Evert Kroon, Ph.D., Vice President of Translation Research at ViaCyte, Inc., an innovator in cellular therapy and regenerative medicine, will participate in the International Pancreas & Islet Transplantation Association (IPITA) Virtual Congress' session, "Islet Organoids From Pluripotent and Adult Stem Cells" on Friday, October 22, 2021 from 8:05-9:05 a.m. ET. IPITA 2021 will feature cutting-edge clinical data and updates on state-of-the-art research to the pancreas and islet transplant scientific community.

Dr. Kroon's presentation, "Results of a first-in-human clinical trial of encapsulated hESC-derived pancreatic progenitors," highlights recent advances for the ViaCyte stem-cell derived islet replacement therapy program.

ViaCyte is the first company to demonstrate a meaningful clinical improvement in a patient with type 1 diabetes (T1D) implanted with stem cell-derived pancreatic cells. The data show that ViaCyte's implanted pancreatic progenitor cells survive, differentiate, and produce endogenous insulin as seen by clinically relevant increases in glucose-responsive C-peptide levels.

"These data clearly demonstrate C-peptide production, increased time in range, and reduction of A1C in a trial participant, indicating production and secretion of insulin," said Dr. Kroon. "This is an exciting milestone for ViaCyte's PEC-Direct (VC-02) product candidate as well as for the stem cell therapy field in general, delivering proof-of-concept that brings us closer to realizing a functional cure for type 1 diabetes."

Dr. Kroon has served in several scientific and leadership roles at the company for 18 years. Prior to ViaCyte, Dr. Kroon conducted research at Montreal Clinical Research Institute. He received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from UT Southwestern Medical Center.

About IPITA
The International Pancreas and Islet Transplantation Association aims to serve the pancreas and islet transplant scientific community in providing a forum for the open exchange of knowledge and expertise in order to facilitate the advancement of the clinical practice of pancreas and islet transplantation for the treatment of human diabetes. To learn more, visit https://tts.org/ipita-about/ipita-presidents-message.

About ViaCyte
ViaCyte is a privately held clinical-stage regenerative medicine company developing novel cell replacement therapies based on two major technological advances: cell replacement therapies derived from pluripotent stem cells and medical device systems for cell encapsulation and implantation. ViaCyte has the opportunity to use these technologies to address critical human diseases and disorders that can potentially be treated by replacing lost or malfunctioning cells or proteins. The Company's first product candidates are being developed as potential long-term treatments for patients with type 1 diabetes to achieve glucose control targets and reduce the risk of hypoglycemia and diabetes-related complications. To accelerate and expand the Company's efforts, ViaCyte has established collaborative partnerships with leading companies, including CRISPR Therapeutics and W.L. Gore & Associates. ViaCyte is headquartered in San Diego, California. For more information, please visit www.viacyte.com and connect with ViaCyte on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

SOURCE ViaCyte, Inc.