Came across the below article advising LCT are still waiting on sign-off for the trials, this has come about due to the change in Government in NZ.
A positive is that the new Health Minister seems to support the decision made by the previous Government:
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By AMY MILNE - The Southland Times Last updated 05:00 25/03/2009 Share Print Text Size The company aiming to revolutionise diabetes treatments by transplanting animal cells into humans is still waiting for the Health Minister's final sign-off to begin New Zealand trials.
Living Cell Technologies (LCT) chief executive Paul Tan said all its conditional obligations had been met.
"We are being patient and we expect to hear from him (Health Minister Tony Ryall) before the end of March."
Mr Ryall said he was awaiting advice from the Health Ministry.
"It is a very complex issue. We are following a process that was set in place by the previous government, which we agree with," he said. It has taken almost 12 years to resume New Zealand trials after they were banned in the 1990s because of fears cells could mutate into a potentially harmful porcine retrovirus.
The company argues its Auckland Island pigs' islet cells are genetically pure and disease-free and says it has proved this through trials in Russia.
Former Labour health minister David Cunliffe gave conditional approval in October for eight New Zealand type-1 diabetes patients to receive transplants. It followed two years of consultation, which recommended trials proceed subject to certain conditions.
These included international independent peer review, setting up an independent clinical team and experts to oversee the trials.
Mr Tan said the latest New Zealand trials would be independently conducted at Middlemore Hospital in Auckland. They would be headed by the hospital's diabetes expert, John Baker and overseen by its infectious diseases principal investigator David Holland.
LCT would provide its patented capsules containing the islet cells in a protective gel micro-capsule and help with protocols, monitoring and data collection, he said.
Meanwhile, construction of the company's multimillion-dollar, highly secure building near Invercargill for its growing mob of Auckland Island pigs,was on track to open at the end of April, Mr Tan said.
THE TREATMENT
Auckland Island pigs islet cells, encased in a protective gel micro-capsule, are injected into the abdomen of type-1 diabetes patients. They start producing insulin to help regulate blood glucose levels appropriate to the amount of glucose detected in the bloodstream of the diabetic recipient, without any immunosuppressant drugs. Source: Living Cell Technologies.
