ViaCyte To Present Update On VC-01™ Combination Product Development At 2013 Stem Cell Meeting On The Mesa

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- ViaCyte, Inc. announced today that an update on the Company's progress toward a transformative stem cell-derived cell therapy for the treatment of type 1 diabetes will be presented at the 3^rd Annual Regen Med Partnering Forum, part of the 2013 Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa to be held October 14-16 in La Jolla, California.  The presentation will be given by Eugene Brandon, Ph.D., Director of Strategic Relations & Project Management at ViaCyte.

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Organized by the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), and the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, the 2013 Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa is a three-day conference aimed at bringing together senior members of the regenerative medicine industry with the scientific research community to advance stem cell science into cures.  The Regen Med Partnering Forum, to be held October 14-15 at the Estancia La Jolla Hotel, is the only partnering meeting organized specifically for the regenerative medicine and advanced therapies industry.

The meeting also features a nationally recognized Scientific Symposium, to be held October 16 at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, showcasing leading academic research in the field of regenerative medicine.  Combined, these meetings attract over 800 attendees from around the globe, fostering key partnerships through one-on-one meetings while also highlighting clinical and commercial progress in the field.

The following are specific details regarding ViaCyte's presentation at the conference:

A live video webcast of all company presentations will be available at: http://stemcellmeetingonthemesa.com/webcast/ and will also be published on ARM's website shortly after the event.

Paul Laikind, Ph.D., ViaCyte's president and CEO said, "We are excited to review the excellent progress we have made with our VC-01™ combination product since our presentation at last year's Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa.  Thanks to the hard work of the ViaCyte team and the continuing support of CIRM and JDRF we are on track to initiate a clinical trial in patients with type 1 diabetes in the first half of next year."

Please visit http://stemcellmeetingonthemesa.com/ for full information including registration. Complimentary attendance at this event is available for credentialed investors and members of the media only. Investors and media should contact Laura Parsons at [email protected].

About ViaCyte
ViaCyte, a private company that has emerged as a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, is currently focused on developing a novel cell therapy for the treatment of diabetes. The Company's lead product is based on the production of pancreatic progenitors derived from human pluripotent stem cells. These cells are implanted in a durable and retrievable encapsulation device called the Encaptra® drug delivery system. Once implanted and matured, these cells are designed to secrete insulin and other regulatory factors in response to blood glucose levels. ViaCyte's goal for this potentially transformative diabetes product is long term insulin independence without immune suppression, and without risk of hypoglycemia and other diabetes-related complications.

ViaCyte is headquartered in San Diego, California with additional operations in Athens, Georgia. The Company is funded in part by CIRM and JDRF.

Forward-Looking Statements
All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that ViaCyte intends, expects, projects, believes, hopes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These statements are based upon certain assumptions and assessments made by ViaCyte's management and are subject to a number of material risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially, and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. The forward-looking statements represent ViaCyte's assumptions and assessments as of the date of this press release, and ViaCyte undertakes no obligation to correct, update or revise the forward-looking statements in this press release for any reason.

SOURCE ViaCyte