Semma Therapeutics To Present At 2017 Cell & Gene Meeting On The Mesa

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Semma Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company developing stem cell-derived islet (SC-islet) technology for type 1 diabetes (T1D), today announced it will present on its encapsulated stem cell-derived human islets in a company overview at the Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mesa at 9:30 a.m. PDT on Thursday, Oct. 5 in La Jolla, California. The meeting is organized by the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) and the Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center at UC San Diego.

“We are pleased to provide a company overview, including an update on the development of our lead product, encapsulated stem cell-derived islets, for the treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes,” said Felicia Pagliuca, Ph.D., Vice President of Cell Biology Research and Development. “Encouraging preclinical studies have demonstrated the ability of these encapsulated cells to rapidly and durably provide glycemic control in diabetic animal models for at least several months, setting the stage for clinical testing in the near future.”

Semma’s SC-islets respond to glucose and secrete insulin in vitro like cadaveric islets, a cell therapy that has already shown proof of concept in the clinic. SC-islets are now produced at large scale and rapidly provide glycemic control in diabetic animal models. Because of the efficiency of differentiation into SC-islets in vitro, a small dose of these cells is expected to provide a functional cure. Semma has engineered novel, proprietary encapsulation technologies that provide rapid insulin response while protecting the cells from immune attack and excessive foreign body reaction. The advanced properties of these encapsulation technologies allow Semma to provide patients a fully effective therapy in a product that is the size of a standard Band-Aid.

A live video webcast of all company presentations will be available at: http://www.meetingonthemesa.com/webcast/ and will also be published on ARM’s website shortly after the event.

About Semma Therapeutics
Semma Therapeutics was founded to develop transformative therapies for Type 1 diabetes patients. Work in the laboratory of Professor Douglas Melton led to the discovery of a method to generate billions of functional, insulin-producing beta cells in the laboratory. This breakthrough technology has been exclusively licensed to Semma Therapeutics for the development of a cell-based therapy for diabetes. Ongoing research at Semma Therapeutics is focused on combining these proprietary cells with a state-of-the-art device to provide a true replacement for the missing beta cells in a diabetic patient without immunosuppression. Semma Therapeutics is working to bring new therapeutic options to the clinic and improve the lives of patients with diabetes. The company is headquartered in Cambridge, MA.