ViaCyte Chief Scientific Officer to Deliver Keynote Address at JDRF Mission Summit

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ViaCyte, Inc., a clinical-stage regenerative medicine company focused on developing novel cell replacement therapies to address diseases with significant unmet needs, announced today that the Company's Chief Scientific Officer, Timothy Kieffer, Ph.D., will deliver the keynote address at the 10^th JDRF Mission Summit, "Now Is the Time: Come Together," on Monday, December 6, 2021 in Palm Beach, Fla. The event will highlight the latest developments in the type 1 diabetes (T1D) research.

Dr. Kieffer will focus on recent innovations in cell replacement therapy that are advancing T1D treatment and its meaning for patients. He also will participate in the panel discussion, "Cell Therapy: The Promises for Tomorrow."

"JDRF plays a vital role in advancing type 1 diabetes research, and I'm honored to serve as the keynote speaker at this year's Mission Summit," said Dr. Kieffer. "Stem cell replacement therapy is demonstrating significant and exciting clinical advances. I look forward to discussing the promising results with members of the JDRF community as we work to reduce the treatment burden for people with T1D and develop a functional cure for this disease." 

Dr. Kieffer has extensive knowledge of gene and cell therapies, regenerative medicine and diabetes applied research. At ViaCyte, he leads the Company's scientific team focused on delivering and commercializing clinical interventions for diabetes.

The ViaCyte PEC–Direct (VC-02) cell replacement therapy product candidate has demonstrated improvements in glycemic control in patients with T1D and lower requirements for exogenous insulin therapy. Additionally, ViaCyte and CRISPR Therapeutics recently received approval from Health Canada to proceed with a clinical trial for VCTX210, the first gene-edited, immune-evasive cell replacement therapy for treatment of T1D.

About ViaCyte
ViaCyte is a privately held clinical-stage regenerative medicine company developing novel cell replacement therapies based on two major technological advances: cell replacement therapies derived from pluripotent stem cells and medical device systems for cell encapsulation and implantation. ViaCyte has the opportunity to use these technologies to address critical human diseases and disorders that can potentially be treated by replacing lost or malfunctioning cells or proteins. The Company's first product candidates are being developed as potential long-term treatments for patients with type 1 diabetes to achieve glucose control targets and reduce the risk of hypoglycemia and diabetes-related complications. To accelerate and expand ViaCyte's efforts, it has established collaborative partnerships with leading companies, including CRISPR Therapeutics and W.L. Gore & Associates. ViaCyte is funded in part by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) and JDRF.  The Company is headquartered in San Diego, California. For more information, please visit www.viacyte.com and connect with ViaCyte on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

SOURCE ViaCyte, Inc.