LCT reports long-term insulin uptake

Auckland-based Living Cell Technologies (ASX: LCT) has reported that patients undergoing clinical trials of the company's DiabeCell encapsulated porcine insulin-producing cells had porcine insulin in their blood samples six and 11 months after implantation.

Living Cell had already proven that the two patients, both from its Phase I/IIa trial in Russia, who were implanted with DiabeCell, required a lower insulin dose to manage the illness. The female patient had detectable levels of porcine insulin after she stopped insulin injections.

LCT's CEO Dr Paul Tan said the data was consistent with published research showing that porcine insulin was present in a NZ patient 10 years after implantation.

"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," Tan said.

Preliminary data from three other patients is yet to be reported.