Micro Pancreas · Project

Injectable Cell Therapy That Restores Natural Insulin Production in Diabetes Patients

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Imagine replacing daily insulin injections with a single shot that puts a tiny, working piece of pancreas under your skin. That's what Betalin built — a biological micro-organ made from donor pancreatic cells mounted on a 3D scaffold, which you inject like a vaccine. Once in place, it reads your blood sugar and releases insulin naturally, just like a healthy pancreas would. The scaffold also includes special cells that calm the immune system so the body doesn't reject the implant.

By the numbers

$6.6B

Diabetes treatment market value in 2013

~$13.6B

Projected market value by 2023

7.6%

Compound annual growth rate (CAGR)

EUR 2,452,625

EU contribution to the project

Consortium partners across 2 countries

The business problem

What needed solving

Diabetes patients face a lifetime of daily insulin injections, constant blood glucose monitoring, and dietary restrictions — with serious long-term risks including stroke, heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and limb amputation. Current treatments manage symptoms but never cure the underlying loss of insulin production. The economic burden on healthcare systems keeps growing as diabetes prevalence increases worldwide.

The solution

What was built

Betalin developed the Micro Pancreas — an injectable biological micro-organ combining a proprietary 3D scaffold (Micro-Organ Matrix), donor human pancreatic islets, and MSCs that reduce immune rejection. The project also produced new patent filings protecting the technology.

Audience

Who needs this

Pharmaceutical companies with cell therapy or biologics pipelines looking for diabetes treatmentsMedical device manufacturers specializing in implantable or injectable therapeutic productsNational health services and large hospital networks managing high diabetes patient volumesDiabetes-focused biotech companies seeking licensing or co-development opportunitiesHealth insurance companies looking to reduce long-term diabetes complication costs

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Pharmaceutical & Biotech

enterprise

Target: Cell therapy companies and biologics manufacturers

If you are a cell therapy manufacturer looking for the next breakthrough in diabetes treatment — this project developed a ready-to-inject biological micro-organ (Micro Pancreas) that restores natural insulin production. The global diabetes treatment market was valued at $6.6B in 2013 and projected to reach ~$13.6B by 2023. Licensing or co-developing this technology could position you in a fast-growing segment with 7.6% CAGR.

Medical Devices & Implants

mid-size

Target: Companies producing implantable medical devices or drug delivery systems

If you are a medical device company specializing in implants or subcutaneous delivery systems — this project created a proprietary 3D scaffold (Micro-Organ Matrix) that keeps transplanted cells alive and functional under the skin. The injection-based delivery eliminates surgical procedures. This platform technology could extend beyond diabetes to other cell-based therapies you already manufacture.

Healthcare & Hospital Systems

enterprise

Target: Diabetes treatment centers, endocrinology clinics, and national health services

If you are a healthcare provider managing thousands of diabetes patients with daily insulin regimens — this project developed an injectable treatment that eliminates insulin dependency, removing the need for daily injections, constant blood glucose monitoring, and strict dietary constraints. Betalin's solution aims to reduce the long-term complications (stroke, heart disease, blindness, kidney failure) that drive the highest costs in diabetes care.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would this treatment cost compared to lifelong insulin therapy?

The project data does not include specific pricing. However, the total diabetes treatment market was valued at $6.6B in 2013 with projected growth to ~$13.6B by 2023. As a one-time biological implant replacing ongoing daily treatment, pricing would likely be positioned against the cumulative cost of years of insulin, monitoring devices, and complication management.

Can this be manufactured at industrial scale?

Based on available project data, the Micro Pancreas uses donor human pancreatic islets mounted on a proprietary 3D scaffold (Micro-Organ Matrix). Scaling depends on donor tissue supply and cell processing capacity. The consortium is 100% industry (2 SMEs), suggesting a commercial manufacturing focus, but no large-scale production data is available from the project.

What intellectual property protection exists?

The project lists new patent filings as a key deliverable (Deliverable 5.3). Betalin holds proprietary rights to the Micro-Organ Matrix (MOM) scaffold technology. The specific patent scope and jurisdictions would need to be discussed directly with the company.

What regulatory approvals are needed?

As a cell therapy product, the Micro Pancreas would require regulatory approval as an Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product (ATMP) in the EU and biologics approval (BLA) in the US. Based on available project data, the team completed feasibility studies under SME Instrument Phase 1 before this Phase 2 project. Clinical trials would be the next regulatory milestone.

What is the timeline to market availability?

The project ran from September 2020 to February 2024 with EU funding of EUR 2,452,625. Successful feasibility studies were completed prior to this phase. Based on available project data, clinical validation and regulatory approval still lie ahead, which typically requires several additional years for cell therapy products.

Does this work for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes?

The project objective explicitly mentions children with Type 1 Diabetes and refers broadly to eliminating insulin dependency in diabetes patients. The technology restores natural insulin production through transplanted islet cells, which directly addresses the root cause of Type 1 diabetes and could benefit insulin-dependent Type 2 patients as well.

Who are the development partners?

The consortium includes 2 industry partners across Israel and the UK, both SMEs, with a 100% industry ratio. The coordinator is Betalin Therapeutics Ltd, based in Israel. No university or research institute partners are listed, suggesting the technology has moved beyond academic research into commercial development.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a lean, commercially focused consortium — 2 SME partners from Israel and the UK, with zero university or research involvement (100% industry ratio). That's a strong signal: the technology has already left the lab. Betalin Therapeutics leads from Israel, a country known for biotech and medical device innovation. The small team and SME Instrument Phase 2 funding (EUR 2,452,625) suggest a startup pushing toward clinical and commercial milestones rather than basic research. For a potential business partner, this means you'd be dealing directly with the technology owners, not navigating academic bureaucracy.

BETALIN THERAPEUTICS LTDCoordinator · IL

How to reach the team

Betalin Therapeutics Ltd (Israel) — use SciTransfer's coordinator lookup service to get the right contact

Order a report on this consortium See BETALIN THERAPEUTICS LTD profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the Micro Pancreas team? SciTransfer can connect you directly with Betalin Therapeutics and provide a detailed technology brief tailored to your business needs.

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