Encapsulated isletsI may not have been chosen for the pig cell trials at Middlemore Hospital, but you can bet your ass I’m still keeping up with what’s going on. Got a newsletter from LCT the other day and this is what they have reported from their Russian trials:

A total of six patients have been implanted with DIABECELL® to date in our ongoing Russian clinical trial; five patients received the lowest dose of 5,000 islet equivalents (IEQ/kg), and one patient was dosed with 10,000 IEQ/kg. Of the initial five patients, four have had a second dose and two patients have been observed for more than 12 months.  Of the two patients followed for more than a year, observations include:

  • Patient one has maintained HbA1c at the ideal level of 6.7 percent with less insulin. The patient’s daily insulin dose requirement varies and has been reduced by 25 percent to 46 percent compared to pre-treatment insulin usage.events.
  • Patient two did not require insulin for five months after the first implant and now uses 36 percent less insulin daily than before the DIABECELL® implant.
  • To date there have been no remarkable adverse events.Professor Bob Elliott, LCT’s Medical Director said: “The results from this trial continue to be encouraging.  The first patients treated with DIABECELL® have now been followed for more than a year and in these patients, treatment has resulted in a substantial decrease in daily insulin requirements, excellent diabetes control and improvement in quality of life.”
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    By Nic on 15 December 2008 at 7.59 pm
    Posted in Science & Research
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