Pittsburgh biotech companies partner to develop diabetes therapy

Pittsburgh-based Imagine Pharma, a biotechnology company focused on the development of its IMG-1 polypeptide, and Pittsburgh-based LyGenesis, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, recently entered into a joint research collaboration to develop novel cell therapies for Type 1 diabetes.

The partners will use Imagine Pharma’s Type 1 Diabetes Activated Islet Progenitor Cells (T1D AIPCs) and LyGenesis’ allogeneic cell therapy platform to develop therapies. A lymph node will be used as a bioreactor to grow a functioning ectopic pancreas.

“We’re thrilled to announce our collaboration with Imagine Pharma to utilize their unique cell-source with our use of endoscopic ultrasound engraftment of cell therapies into the lymph node for the treatment of diabetes,” Dr. Michael Hufford, LyGenesis co-founder and CEO, said. “With our lead cell therapy already in clinic for the treatment of end stage liver disease, Imagine Pharma’s AIPCs hold remarkable promise to rapidly advance our pipeline of therapies.”

In the United States, approximately 64,000 people are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes annually, and it affects 1.45 million people. It is an autoimmune disease that causes the pancreas to stop producing insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar levels.

In June 2022, Imagine Pharma announced the discovery of T1D AIPCs, a critical component for potential treatment for the disease.