LIVING CELL TRIAL SHOWS PIG INSULIN IN PATIENTS’ BLOOD
June 25th 2008 23:29
Wednesday June 25, 2008
Daily news on ASX-listed biotechnology companies
* ASX, BIOTECHS DOWN: LIVING CELL UP 20%, AGENIX DOWN 10.5%
* LIVING CELL TRIAL SHOWS PIG INSULIN IN PATIENTS’ BLOOD
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* NANOSONICS LODGES TGA APPLICATION; AIMS AT CANADA, US
* OMI RECEIVES FURTHER AMERICAN ORDERS; PAYMENT DELAYED
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* INCITIVE PLACEMENT TO RAISE $500k
* LIM SEN YAP TAKES 14% OF ARANA
* GOODBYE CLINICAL CELL; G’DAY AVITA
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LIVING CELL
Living Cell says patients in its type 1 diabetes trial had porcine insulin in their blood samples showing that Diabecell implants produce insulin and contribute to clinical benefit.
Living Cell’s medical director Prof Bob Elliott, said the early clinical response in the first two patients in the phase I/II trial “showed that following Diabecell treatment they were able to control their diabetes with reduced insulin dose”.
Living Cell’s Diabecell technology is based on the xenotransplantation of encapsulated Islets of Langerhans taken from its specialized herd of pigs bred on Auckland Island.
“By detecting porcine insulin in blood samples, we have demonstrated with certainty that the reduced insulin requirement is due to the implanted cells,” Prof Elliott said.
“Porcine insulin was present in the circulation of the first patient at 11 months follow up and in the second patient six months after receiving the implant,” he said.
“In the second patient it was detected after she stopped insulin injections clearly demonstrating the effect of the implants,” Prof Elliott said.
Living Cell chief executive officer Dr Paul Tan said the information was consistent with the company’s published research which demonstrated presence of porcine insulin in a patient 10 years after a similar implant.
“This has now been validated again after 11 months without use of immunosuppressive drugs in the current trial and at the lowest dose of Diabecell,” Dr Tan said.
“The long term functioning of the encapsulated cells is important and we expect Living Cell’s current encapsulation technology to keep the cells alive and functioning long term,” Dr Tan said.
“The preliminary data from this world-first diabetes clinical trial of encapsulated porcine insulin-producing cells gives us increasing confidence as we advance Diabecell to larger scale trials with higher doses,” Dr Tan said.
The company said earlier this month (see Biotech Daily June 5, 2008) that it would expand its Russian xeno-transplant trial.
Living Cell said that all five patients who have received transplants were well, without complication and participating in the follow-up program.
Prof Elliott will travel to Russia in July to review patients with their physicians and to collate clinical data and Living Cell expects to provide a complete update in late July.
Living Cell was up five cents or 20.0 percent to 30 cents.
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