Press Release

Biotech Company ViaCyte to Be Acquired by Vertex Pharmaceuticals

July 13, 2022

San Diego – July 13, 2022 – Cooley advised ViaCyte, a biotechnology company focused on delivering novel stem cell-derived cell replacement therapies as a functional cure for Type 1 diabetes (T1D), on its definitive agreement to be acquired by global biotechnology company Vertex Pharmaceuticals for $320 million in cash. Partners Rowook Park and Carlos Ramirez, along with associate Lindsey O’Crump, led the Cooley team advising ViaCyte. 

ViaCyte is a private cellular therapy company with a clinical-stage stem cell platform that delivers therapeutic proteins to restore health in people. The company has significant clinical experience in patients with T1D, which includes a first-in-class gene-edited, immune-evasive investigational islet cell replacement therapy for diabetes that could potentially eliminate the need for exogenous insulin without requiring immunosuppression.

About Cooley LLP

Clients partner with Cooley on transformative deals, complex IP and regulatory matters, and high-stakes litigation, where innovation meets the law. 

Cooley has 1,500 lawyers across 17 offices in the United States, Asia and Europe, and a total workforce of 3,300.