HTA Details
Pancreas Islet Transplantation for Patients With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
- Publication date
-
2015-September-01
- Status
- Final
- Topic Area
- Transplantation
- Recommendation
-
Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee Recommendations:
- OHTAC recommends that pancreas islet cell transplantation be publicly funded as a treatment option for eligible adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus who have frequent episodes of hypoglycemic unawareness and/or uncontrollable diabetes despite optimal medical therapy.
- Ministry Response
-
The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has accepted this recommendation.
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To read the full OHTAC Recommendation Report for this topic, contact our Health Innovation team using the contact form to request a digital copy.
Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition where the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas stop functioning. As a result, patients with type 1 diabetes require lifelong insulin therapy to control their blood sugar levels.
Despite treatment with insulin, a very small proportion of people with type 1 diabetes experience large, unpredictable changes in their blood sugar level. Some of these people aren’t aware when their blood sugar gets to dangerously low levels. This is known as hypoglycemic unawareness. Hypoglycemic unawareness can significantly affect quality of life and can potentially lead to brain damage or premature death.
Pancreatic islet transplantation is a type of cell replacement therapy in which islets (tiny clusters of cells) from the pancreases of deceased organ donors are purified, processed, and transplanted into another person. The goal of pancreatic islet transplantation is to improve blood sugar control, and in particular to reduce hypoglycemic unawareness. Some patients are even able to stop using insulin altogether.
Last Updated: February 24, 2026
