surgically implanted, the membrane sheet will be viable for years. the cells that the device holds can be produced from stem cells rather than human donors, and may also be replaced over time using input and output connections without surgery. defymed is partially funded by jdrf, formerly known as the juvenile diabetes research foundation, but is now defined as an organization for all ages and all stages of type 1 diabetes. in november 2018, it was announced that defymed would partner with the israel-based kadimastem, a bio-pharmaceutical company developing stem-cell based regenerative therapies, to receive a two-year grant worth approximately $1.47 million for the development of a bio-artificial pancreas that would treat type 1 diabetes. kadimastem's stem cell technology uses differentiation of human embryonic stem cells to obtain pancreatic endocrine cells. these include insulin-producing beta cells, as well as alpha cells, which produce glucagon. both cells arrange in islet-like clusters, mimicking the structure of the pancreas. the aim of the partnership is to combine both technologies in a bio-artificial pancreas device, which releases insulin in response to blood glucose levels, to bring to clinical trial stages. the san diego, california based biotech company viacyte has also developed a product aiming to provide a solution for type 1 diabetes which uses an encapsulation device made of a semi-permeable immune reaction-protective membrane. the device contains pancreatic progenitor cells that have been differentiated from embryonic stem cells. after surgical implantation in an outpatient procedure, the cells mature into endocrine cells which arrange in islet-like clusters and mimic the function of the pancreas, producing insulin and glucagon. the technology advanced from pre-clinical studies to fda approval for phase 1 clinical trials in 2014, and presented two-year data from the trial in june 2018. they reported that their product, called pec-encap, has so far been safe and well tolerated in patients at a dose below therapeutic levels. the encapsulated cells were able to survive and mature after implantation, and immune system rejection was decreased due to the protective membrane. the second phase of the trial will evaluate the efficacy of the product. viacyte has also been receiving financial support from jdrf on this project. initiatives around the globe in the united states in 2006, jdrf (formerly the juvenile diabetes research foundation) launched a multi-year initiative to help accelerate the development, regulatory approval, and acceptance of continuous glucose monitoring and artificial pancreas technology. grassroots efforts to create and commercialize a fully automated artificial pancreas system have also arisen directly from patient advocates and the diabetes community.