LyGenesis and Imagine Pharmaceuticals have come together to create a revolutionary collaboration to develop life-changing cell therapies for patients with type 1 diabetes. By combining Imagine Pharma’s Type 1 Diabetes Activated Islet Progenitor Cells (T1D AIPCs) with LyGenesis’ allogeneic cell therapy platform, this groundbreaking research has the potential to revolutionize the field of regenerative medicine and provide much-needed relief to those living with type 1 diabetes.
Imagine Pharma made a groundbreaking announcement in June 2022: the discovery of T1D AIPCs, a key component in potentially treating Type 1 diabetes. Working together with LyGenesis, they are creating a program to rapidly test a promising new treatment.
Through the use of Imagine Pharma’s AIPCs as the cell source and LyGenesis’ bioreactor to grow an ectopic pancreas, a preclinical proof of concept program is being developed to bring hope to the 1.45 million people in the United States with Type 1 diabetes, of which 64,000 are newly diagnosed every year.
We are delighted to announce our collaboration with Imagine Pharma, which will enable us to combine their revolutionary cell-source technology with our endoscopic ultrasound engraftment of cell therapies into the lymph nodes for the treatment of diabetes.
Our lead cell therapy is already being used in clinics for end stage liver disease, and Imagine Pharma’s AIPCs offer an amazing opportunity to rapidly expand our pipeline of therapies.
Imagine Pharma’s innovative AIPC cell population, combined with LyGenesis’ cell therapy platform, could revolutionize the treatment of type 1 diabetes. Our cutting-edge approach holds the promise of groundbreaking results, and we are thrilled to be at the forefront of this exciting development. Dr. Ngoc Thai, Imagine Pharma’s Founder, CMO and Co-CEO, is leading the charge to make this vision a reality.
About Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)
Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease that can affect people of any age and is caused by an immune reaction that destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. This means that the pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar levels.
People with T1D must actively monitor their blood-sugar levels through finger pricks or continuous glucose monitoring devices, and carefully balance insulin intake with diet and exercise. Although insulin is the key to managing T1D, there is sadly no cure yet.
Imagine Pharma Islet Center
Imagine Pharma Islet Center is a revolutionary research facility that provides diabetes researchers with access to human isolated islets, tissue processing and related services. Through their involvement with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases’ Islet Integrated Distribution Program (IIDP), Imagine Pharma Islet Center is making huge strides in the fight against diabetes, supporting leading academic diabetes centers around the country, including Vanderbilt University, Stanford University, University of Florida, Mt. Sinai Icahn School of Medicine in New York, the University of Pittsburgh, and the Network for Pancreatic Donors with Diabetes (nPOD). This is truly a landmark development in diabetes research.
About Imagine Pharma
Imagine Pharma is a biotechnology company that has achieved a remarkable milestone: it was recently selected as an approved Islet Isolation Center for the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Integrated Islet Distribution Program.
Founded in 2016 in Pittsburgh, PA, the company has developed three distinct platforms for Oral Delivery, Therapeutics, and Regenerative Medicine, with first-in-class programs that address multiple diseases in large, underserved markets. IMG-1 polypeptide, the focus of its research and development efforts, is a cutting-edge drug with the potential to revolutionize the biotechnology industry.
About LyGenesis
LyGenesis is revolutionizing the field of cell therapy, leveraging a patient’s own lymph nodes to grow functioning ectopic organs. This groundbreaking clinical-stage biotechnology company is currently in a Phase 2a clinical trial for patients with end-stage liver disease and is focusing on the potential to produce an ectopic thymus, pancreas, and kidney for aging, diabetes, and renal disease, respectively. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, LyGenesis is making waves in the medical field with its cutting-edge cell therapy platform.