Vertex’s islet cell therapy proves durable. Will freedom from insulin be worth the risks?

With one-year data from 12 Type I diabetes patients, the potential of islet cell therapies to free patients from insulin injections is starting to look real. The lingering question for Vertex and its competitors is whether immunosuppression will be required, and how that would impact safety and patient demand.

On Friday, Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VRTX) reported that all 12 patients who received a full dose of its islet cell therapy zimislecel, and were followed for at least one year, achieved HbA1c levels below 7% and spent more than 70% of their time in-range. At the one-year mark, 10 of the 12 patients were insulin-independent...