The Australian-New Zealand biotech Living Cell Technologies (LCT) Ltd has prolonged its clinical trials to a third region, with two patients being implanted in a Phase II DIABECELL® clinical in trial Buenos Aires, Argentina.

In the xenotransplantation treatment, in order to produce insulin, insulin-producing cells from pigs are encapsulated and surgically entrenched into the patient.

This has been the third jurisdiction till now, where LCT has conducted clinical trials. LCT has been the only company who has been using the animal to human implants technology.

Around eight adult patients with Type 1 diabetes and also those with unhinged diabetes and severe hypoglycaemia will receive two implants of DIABECELL after every three months.

LCT Medical Director and CEO Bob Elliott said that the earlier trials conducted have authenticated the treatment and has exposed that the patients who have been the victims of unstable diabetics can gain benefit. The unstable diabetics’ victims do not come to know when their blood glucose levels are low which puts their life at risk.

Elliott stated that in the next clinical trials fewer insulin producing cells will be used, and will be implanted only on two occasions.

“We hope to see the effect of these even lower and repeated doses. We are looking for most effective combination before we enter into our final stages of commercialisation”, Elliott added.