ViaCyte, a regenerative medicine company long-supported by JDRF, today announced $27 million in financing to continue the development of beta cell therapies for diabetes. This funding ensures that Viacyte’s innovative approaches to replacing the insulin-producing beta cells in people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) will keep progressing.

“Beta cell therapies are a key component of JDRF’s strategy to find cures for T1D,” said Esther Latres, Ph.D., JDRF Director, Research. “Therapies like those currently being developed by Viacyte have the potential to eliminate insulin therapy and give people living with T1D a respite from the daily management of T1D.”

In October 2019, Viacyte achieved a critical milestone: their PEC-Direct therapy was the first beta cell replacement therapy to demonstrate the ability to produce C-peptide, a biomarker for insulin, in people with T1D. JDRF underwrote the development of the proprietary line of stem cells used in their therapy and supported several pre-clinical and clinical trials. JDRF also had a major hand in the creation of the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine in 2004, which is another major funder of the company. 

Along with the PEC-Direct therapy, Viacyte is working on several other beta cell replacement therapies, which you can learn about here.

In addition to currently supporting Viacyte and their efforts to develop beta cell therapies, JDRF is advancing research in this area through funding and regulatory work as part of the JDRF Beta Cell Replacement Consortium. The Consortium brings together the top minds in this and related fields, ensuring collaboration and eliminating redundant work. You can read more about JDRF’s Beta Cell Therapies portfolio here.

Learn more about this news via their press release.