WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Mike Lee from Utah, Ted Budd from North Carolina and Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee introduced a bill aimed at empowering patients and improving outdated regulations for diabetic patients.
The bill focuses on Islet transplantation, a cutting-edge treatment for individuals with Type 1 Diabetes. Rep. Matt Rosendale from Montana introduced a companion bill in the House of Representatives.
Focused on patient-centered care, this effort would move islets to a more appropriate regulatory framework.
“The ISLET Act is extremely important for our patients with type 1 diabetes and is long overdue,” said Piotr Witkowski MD Ph.D., Professor of Surgery at the University of Chicago. “It will allow us to treat the most vulnerable patients with a life-threatening form of diabetes and develop novel therapies to cure the disease.”
Islets, vital micro-organs in the pancreas responsible for insulin production, are essential for individuals’ well-being, according to a press release. Those with Type 1 Diabetes face a daily struggle as their islets fail to function properly, necessitating insulin injections.
Islet transplantation presents a transformative solution by utilizing islets from deceased donors to restore natural insulin production, potentially liberating patients from constant insulin administration.
“This bill holds tremendous potential for those living with this chronic condition, offering the possibility of reducing or eliminating the need for injected insulin,” said Utah Sen. Mike Lee. “By redefining islets as organs rather than drugs, we aim to align the regulatory framework with the scientific advancements in the field.”
Current regulatory framework classifies islets as drugs, hindering progress and limiting access to this life-changing procedure, Lee stated. While other nations recognize islets as organs, establishing islet transplantation as the standard of care, the United States lags behind with outdated regulations.
“The Increase Support for Life-saving Endocrine Transplantation Act would be an answered prayer for so many with diabetes,” said Whitney Rimmer, an ISLET transplant recipient. “This has allowed me to really live again, not just survive, and to be present for my children, family and friends.”
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