ViaCyte bags $80M to trial diabetes stem cell therapies
Questex LLC | November 29, 2018
ViaCyte has raised $80 million to continue clinical development of its cell therapy treatments for diabetes. The series D positions ViaCyte to generate phase 1/2 data on one candidate while working to get another back into the clinic. San Diego-based ViaCyte is at the forefront of efforts to develop stem cell-derived cell replacement therapies capable of treating insulin-requiring diabetes. If these products work as hoped, they will provide diabetics with a lasting source of insulin-producing cells, thereby freeing them from some of the disease management burdens they face today.
ViaCyte has been plugging away at the idea for years, riding out ebbs and flows in excitement about regenerative medicine. Today, ViaCyte is riding high. Led by Bain Capital Life Sciences, a syndicate heavy with crossover investors has committed $80 million in two tranches.