Imagine Pharma Completes More Than 32 Clinical Human Islet Cell Isolation Procedures for Leading Hospital Systems in 2023

Partners with Cook MyoSite to establish a state-of-the-art facility to conduct human islet isolations for hospital systems without in-house capabilities

PITTSBURGH, Dec. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- 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 has successfully completed more than 32 clinical islet cell isolation procedures for several leading hospital systems across the United States, including the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

As part of expanding its clinical islet cell isolation capabilities, Imagine Pharma has also formed a partnership with Cook MyoSite, enabling the Company to support those hospital systems without their own in-house isolation facilities. Human islet cell isolation and preparation involve specialized expertise and costly processes, typically available in only a handful of hospital facilities and outside laboratories.

Under the leadership of Dr. Rita Bottino, Director of Imagine Pharma's Islet Programs and a globally-renowned expert in islet isolations, Imagine has quickly established itself as a leader in both research and clinical islet isolation procedures, pioneering advancements in the treatment of pancreatitis and auto-islet transplants. "The availability of high-quality human islet cells is critical to medical centers that perform autologous transplantations for patients undergoing pancreatectomies," said Bottino. "Our prominence in clinical isolations and the increasing demand for our expertise are testaments to the trust the medical community has placed in us to perform this very specialized procedure."

"We are proud to collaborate with Imagine Pharma in their pursuit of innovative medical solutions and to support their clinical work at our cutting-edge facilities," said Carl Cook, President of Cook MyoSite, Inc. "Our commitment to excellence aligns with Imagine Pharma's mission, and we look forward to expanding our partnership in the year ahead."

Imagine Islet Center
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, and the Network for Pancreatic Donors with Diabetes (nPOD), among others.

About Imagine Pharma
Imagine Pharma is a biotechnology company focused on the development of its IMG-1 polypeptide across its Oral Delivery, Therapeutics, and Regenerative Medicine platforms, each with first-in-class programs that address multiple disease states in large, underserved markets. Imagine Pharma is also an approved Islet Isolation Center for the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Integrated Islet Distribution Program. For more information visit: www.imaginepharma.com.

About Cook MyoSite
Cook MyoSite is dedicated to the development and subsequent commercialization of technology related to the collection, selection, and expansion of human skeletal muscle cells for the treatment of various disorders. In addition to operating several regulated clinical studies, Cook MyoSite provides a range of custom services, including modified cell samples to contract manufacturing arrangements, procurement and processing of muscle cells from specific donor populations, custom media formulations, CMO/CDMO arrangements, and QC analytical testing and assay development. Learn more about Cook MyoSite at www.cookmyosite.com.

Contact: Andie Levine, andie@0to5.com 

SOURCE Imagine Pharma