Diabetes Patient Progressing Well

Living Cell Technologies Limited                                               

COMPANY ANNOUNCEMENT

 
Diabetes Patient Progressing Well

·         In response to overwhelming public queries, clinician investigator reports progress on Living Cell Technologies’ (LCT’s) Diabetes Trial in New Zealand

·         First patient has no ill effects and reduces daily insulin dose at early follow up

First Patient In Living Cell Technologies’ New Zealand DIABECELL® Trial Drops Insulin Dose Without Ill Effects

4 December 2009: Sydney, Australia, Auckland, New Zealand – Living Cell Technologies Limited (ASX: LCT; OTCQX: LVCLY) is pleased to draw attention to the report that the first patient to receive an implant of DIABECELL® in New Zealand is progressing well. Dr John Baker, Endocrinologist and Principal Investigator at the Centre for Clinical Research and Effective Practice (CCRep), Middlemore Hospital, reported today that the patient with type 1 diabetes, who received LCT’s encapsulated insulin producing porcine cells on 6 October, has reduced his insulin dose and suffered no ill effects to date.

In response to numerous queries from the public, CCRep released their statement reporting that the 48-year-old man, with type 1 diabetes for 20 years, had started to drop his daily insulin dose by 30% while maintaining his usual blood glucose levels. Clinical details are limited as the trial is still at an early stage and was designed to keep the Principal Investigator unbiased and blinded to selected clinical information.

Prof Bob Elliott, LCT Medical Director said, “I am delighted by the response of this first patient. The clinical results are consistent with what I expected to see at this very early stage in the trial.”

Dr Paul Tan, Chief Executive Officer LCT said: “In clinical trials, DIABECELL® is showing very satisfying progress with positive results first from Russia and now from New Zealand.”

A second New Zealand patient is to receive the DIABECELL® implant in December and two more patients early in the New Year all of whom will then have received the dose of 10,000 islet equivalents per kilogram body weight (IEQ/kg). A further four patients would follow with the top dose of 15,000 IEQ/kg in this trial.   

DIABECELL® is designed to normalize blood glucose levels in type 1 diabetes sufferers.

DIABECELL® comprises encapsulated porcine insulin-producing cells which can be administered without the need to use immunosuppressive drugs.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body's own immune system destroys the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas (called beta cells). Five to 10 percent of the more than 200 million diabetics worldwide have insulin dependent type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is associated with kidney failure, blindness, nerve damage, life-threatening cardiovascular disease and limb amputations. Current treatment options include multiple daily injections of insulin.

-Ends-

© Scoop Media