40 Clinical Human Islet Cell Isolation Procedures Completed for Leading Healthcare Institutions, Including 24 Pediatric Procedures, Over Past 14 Months
PITTSBURGH, February 27, 2025 – Imagine Pharma, a biotech company focused on advancing the commercialization of its novel IMG-1 polypeptide in Oral Delivery, Therapeutics, and Regenerative Medicine, announced today that it successfully completed 31 clinical human total pancreatectomy and autologous islet cell transplant (TPAIT) procedures in 2024, including 24 pediatric procedures, and another 9 procedures this year. These efforts supported some of the nation’s most prestigious healthcare institutions, including West Virginia University (WVU) Health System, which operates under the brand WVU Medicine and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Additionally, Imagine Pharma completed 48 research islet cell isolations in 2024. In total, Imagine Pharma has isolated more than 20 million pancreatic islets for clinical procedures and research since January 2024.
Guided by Dr. Rita Bottino, Director of Imagine Pharma’s Islet Programs and an internationally recognized expert in islet isolations, Imagine Pharma continues to be a trusted partner for healthcare and research institutions seeking high-quality, clinical-grade islet cell isolation services. These islets are critical for procedures such as autologous islet transplantation, a life-changing treatment for patients undergoing total pancreatectomies.
“These milestones underscore the vital role Imagine Pharma plays in advancing islet transplantation,” said Dr. Bottino. “The demand for our expertise reflects the growing momentum in this field, as well as our dedication to improving outcomes for patients through cutting-edge innovation.”
“Reaching these milestones highlights Imagine Pharma’s commitment to innovation in islet transplantation,” said Dr. Ngoc Thai, Founder, Co-CEO, and CMO of Imagine Pharma. “By partnering with leading healthcare institutions and leveraging our expertise in islet isolation, we are advancing cutting-edge therapies and helping to shape the future of care for patients with complex pancreatic conditions.”
The Imagine Islet Center, a key component of Imagine Pharma’s Islet Programs, provides clinical islets for autologous islet transplantation for various hospital Institutions, research-grade human isolated islets, tissue processing, and related services to the diabetes research community. The Center currently supplies human islet cells as part of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases’ Islet Integrated Distribution Program (IIDP) and to support leading academic diabetes centers in the United States, including Vanderbilt University, Stanford University, University of Florida, Mt. Sinai Icahn School of Medicine in New York, the University of Pittsburgh, Penn State University, University of Indiana, Wake Forest University, and the Network for Pancreatic Donors with Diabetes (nPOD), among others.
About Imagine Pharma
Imagine Pharma is a biotechnology company focused on developing its IMG-1 polypeptide. Research and development efforts have led to the development of three distinctive platforms for Oral Delivery, Therapeutics, and Regenerative Medicine, each with first-in-class programs that address multiple disease states in large, underserved markets. Imagine Pharma was recently selected as an approved Islet Isolation Center for the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Integrated Islet Distribution Program. Imagine Pharma was founded in 2016 in Pittsburgh, PA. For more information visit: www.imaginepharma.com.