An Interview with Vertex

It’s an exciting time for type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Nearly every day, we’re seeing incredible progress across each area of Breakthrough T1D’s research portfolio to cure, prevent, and treat T1D and its complications.

One area in particular is making headlines: Cell therapies. 

In T1D, the immune system destroys the beta cells in the pancreas, which produce insulin. Cell therapies aim to replace those destroyed cells—and keep them safe from the immune system—so they can thrive inside the body and restore insulin production. 

Vertex Pharmaceuticals is one of the companies pursuing cell therapies for T1D. They are currently researching a cell therapy treatment in an ongoing Phase 1/2/3 clinical trial—an investigational manufactured islet therapy that requires the use of immunosuppression. JoyL Silva, Senior Vice President, Disease Area Executive, Type 1 Diabetes, is leading the T1D portfolio at Vertex and answered a few questions about herself, Vertex, and their work.

Watch the videos below to learn more about Vertex’s cell therapy work, their commitment to the T1D community (spoiler alert: they’re all in on T1D), how they’re applying what they learned in cystic fibrosis to T1D, and much more.

History with Breakthrough T1D

Breakthrough T1D has a long-term collaborative partnership with Vertex and its leading researchers that goes back decades. Our key collaborations include:

• In 2004, Breakthrough T1D funded researcher Doug Melton started to work to turn stem cells into insulin-producing cells in the lab. He accomplished this in 2014.

• In 2015, Melton founded Semma Therapeutics with hopes that these cells would have a transformative impact for T1D. In 2017, the T1D Fund made a catalytic investment in Semma. 

• The T1D Fund also invested in ViaCyte, which was acquired by Vertex in 2022. 

Thanks to JoyL and Vertex for taking the time to answer our questions. We look forward to more updates on your cell therapy program and other manufactured islet therapies in the future!