Chicago City Wire

A new therapy for brittle type 1 diabetes is now available exclusively at UI Health in Chicago. This treatment, known as pancreatic islet cell therapy, is the only one currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for adults with this condition.

Lantidra, derived from a deceased donor pancreas, helps regulate blood glucose by infusing into the patient's liver where insulin is produced. The United Network for Organ Sharing determines donor matches necessary for this treatment.

Dr. Enrico Benedetti, head of surgery at UI Health, highlighted that "in previous clinical trials, 70% of patients who received Lantidra no longer required insulin one year post-islet transplant and over 90% no longer experienced hypoglycemia."

Before this development, a pancreas transplant was the sole option for those with brittle type 1 diabetes. The success of Lantidra varies among patients; it involves lodging islet cells in liver vessels to produce insulin and requires immunosuppressants to prevent rejection.

Type 1 diabetes affects over 1.4 million people in the U.S., with around 80,000 having its more severe form—brittle type 1 diabetes—which can lead to serious health complications.

Lantidra's approval by the FDA in June 2023 followed research conducted at University of Illinois Chicago and trials at UI Health. CellTrans Inc., led by Dr. José Oberholzer, developed the therapy based on these trials' data.

Dr. Lorenzo Gallon from UI Health expressed satisfaction with reaching this milestone after two decades since starting work on Lantidra in 2004: “Our team has come full circle with this product.”

Eligible patients must be over 18 years old with specific medical criteria including long-term type 1 diabetes dependency on insulin and certain BMI limits without other major health issues or active infections.

For further information about eligibility and program details, interested parties are encouraged to visit UI Health's Islet Cell Transplant Program website.

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