Reports + Research

ViaCyte and CRISPR Therapeutics Partner for Type 1 Diabetes Cure

The hallmark of Type 1 diabetes is the loss of beta islet cells that produce insulin to control blood glucose levels. Islet transplants have been performed for decades, but are limited to the most high-risk patients because of limited donor supply and the need for lifelong immunosuppressant drugs. CRISPR Therapeutics and ViaCyte have teamed up to genetically edit stem cells to make them undetectable by the immune system. ViaCyte, in turn, will use their proprietary technology to differentiate the stem cells into pancreatic progenitor cells, which after implantation are designed to further mature into islet cells and deliver a functional cure for Type 1 diabetes.

Biocom Names Under-40 Life Science Catalyst Award Recipients

For the third year, Biocom has identified more than a dozen people under the age of 40 who are making significant contributions to the San Diego and Los Angeles life science industries. The recipients of the “Life Science Catalyst Award” are entrepreneurs, academics, investors, corporate leaders and business advisers who work in pharma, diagnostics, industrial biotech and digital health.

Viking Therapeutics Announces Positive Mid-Stage Trial Results in NAFLD

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, or NAFLD, is a serious metabolic disease that is threatening an ever-widening population of Americans (about 20 to 30 percent). Left untreated, NAFLD can progress to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and cirrhosis. It is estimated that NAFLD/NASH will become the leading need for liver transplants within the next decade. There are currently no FDA-approved treatments for NAFLD, but Viking Therapeutics hopes to change that. This week, the company announced positive results in a midstage trial for NAFLD, and this sent its stock up 140 percent.

Read + Listen

POW! Podcast of the Week

Have you ever wondered how to change someone’s mind? How about an entire country’s? Hidden Brain takes a look at how a soap opera worked to change how Rwandans viewed one another after the 1994 genocide.

Events

It’s Happening Here

October 4
San Diego’s sixth annual MFG Day is Thursday, October 4, capping off a number of events across the county from the 2nd to the 4th.

October 5
Want to rock out for a good cause? Head to Belly Up in Solana Beach on October 5 for the Immunotherapy Foundation Rock & Roll Avalanche 2.0. All funds raised go toward cancer immunotherapy research at the UCSD Moores Cancer Center and the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology

Client disclosure: ViaCyte

Tags: Biotech, Biotech Briefing, Blogs, CRISPR, Diabetes, Medical Research, Medicine, Type 1 Diabetes