SurModics Inc (SRDX)

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I think it makes more sense to mass produce reliable insulin producing cells and coat them. The procedure can be done in an outpatient surgical setting with local anesthesia (simple implant under the skin). So the cells die out and the patient has the minor inconvenience of going back for another implant every 3-5 years (cha-ching$$ for investors). I'd trade that for the hassle of 2-4 insulin shots per day and likely much less frequent blood glucose monitoring. Perhaps wealthy people could have their own stem cells differentiated but if they are Type I diabetics they STILL need the coating to protect the cells from immune destruction. Perhaps the obese, wealthy type II diabetics would be the only customers.

I believe that if this technology pans out it will revolutionize the care of diabetes and help reduce the very expensive complications that result from this horrible disease - including but not limited to the macrovascular-cardiovascular events, the microvascular events that cause blindness and kidney failure, the neuropathic events..... I have witnessed these horrible things in my family first hand. The costs are enormous and society does not have the resources to deal with the type I and II diabetic baby boomers with current technology.

Heart attacks and strokes and other blood vessel failures fill half the cemetery and probably half of the nusing home beds. Kidney transplants and the aftermath of follow up treatments are incredibly expensive. Dialysis units are popping up all over the country. The medical costs of the Metabolic syndrome (early diabetes) including much of the treated hypertension and lipid disorders are very costly. The lost productivity of the affected citizens with this disease and its consequences is grossly underestimated in my opinion. If medical technology and lifestyle accommodations can tackle this disease in its earlier stages then the cost savings will be quite substantial.