On the hunt for a potentially curative treatment, Vertex Pharmaceuticals has agreed to acquire ViaCyte, a developer of stem cell-derived therapies for type 1 diabetes. The deal, worth US$320 M, grants Vertex access to ViaCyte’s complementary assets, capabilities and stem cell technologies, including manufacturing facilities that could help accelerate its own diabetes programmes. The acquisition comes nearly three years after Vertex acquired Semma and picked up VX-880, a stem cell therapy that has recently been released from an FDA clinical hold.