The makers of an award-winning documentary exploring a radical new stem-cell treatment that could lead to a cure for type 1 diabetes are to visit the island.

The Human Trial, described as “a captivating story of courage, hope and scientific innovation”, is directed by Lisa Hepner, who lives with type 1 diabetes, and her husband, Guy Mossman. They will host a screening and discussion session.

The Bermuda Diabetes Association invited the film-makers to the island after meeting them at the International Diabetes Federation conference in Lisbon.

Ten years in the making, the documentary follows a group of diabetes patients who risk everything to take part in a potentially life-changing clinical trial. The couple gained unprecedented access to the trial in San Diego — only the sixth embryonic stem-cell trial in the world.

When you have diabetes, your body does not make enough insulin or cannot use it well. As a result, cells stop responding to insulin and too much blood sugar stays in your bloodstream, which can cause serious health problems such as heart disease, vision loss and kidney disease.

Ms Hepner, who has struggled with diabetes for 33 years, said: “The science is working, the cells are producing insulin, but the patients need to take anti-rejection drugs. The researchers are working on it.

“I believe we will get there in five years. I am a patient in the trenches and have been following the science for ten years.

“We did a screening of the film in 2023 in Canada on Parliament Hill — it was super exciting to have experts on the panel saying we are so close.

“We need money to accelerate the trials and make sure the regulatory bodies understand it is a public health emergency.”

Released in 2022, The Human Trial won a string of awards including Best Documentary Feature at the Mumbai International Film Festival, the Scinema International Science Festival, the Mykonos International Film Festival and the Cine Paris Film Festival.

It also won the Raw Breakthrough Award in the Raw Science Film Festival.

According to the International Diabetes Federation, diabetes was responsible for 6.7 million deaths in 2021. Ms Hepner said that the breakthrough research should be accelerated by “tearing a page out of the Covid-19 vaccine playbook”.

“Hope is not a four-letter word; it’s a reality,” she said.

“Stay healthy enough so you can get in line for the cure. I didn’t believe it. I’ve had diabetes for 33 years and I spend 25 per cent of my day dealing with it.

“You just want to live life, you want to be normal — have a child, get married and have a career.”

She said big pharmaceutical companies were quick to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic but not so quick with diabetes, a disease Ms Hepner believes should have been cured by now.

Mr Mossman said: “Big pharma is very risk averse. We followed ViaCyte [a small biotech company later acquired by Vertex] and saw them struggling to make ends meet. They didn’t have enough data to present to bring in the next round of investment but needed more money to do that.

“Big pharma turned their back on them. They survived due to a bridge loan but I think it goes to the heart of what is challenging these start-ups. They are bringing new ideas and forging new pathways forward but if they are not getting funding from big pharma, they have to rely on other sources.”

Ms Hepner said the film also tackles a stigma attached to diabetes that patients can be healthy if the disease is well managed and that if you are ill, it is your fault.

“We bear the responsibility to act as a pancreas,” she said. “Our goal was to demystify what it is like to live with it.

“The stigma is exacerbated by the big pharma message — take my drug and you are fine. It’s an invisible disease. I want people to know it’s a global health emergency with millions dying and suffering.”

After the screening, attendees will have the opportunity to engage in a question-and-answer session with the directors who will provide insights into the making of the film and the research it portrays.

The pair will also be screening the film and staging discussions with students at educational institutions.

Lori Rockhead, executive director for the Bermuda Diabetes Association, said: “We’re excited to have the film-makers in Bermuda to talk about their experience making the film and the impact of clinical trials in developing new treatments.”

The film will be shown at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute on May 4 at 6pm.

• Tickets for the Bermuda premiere are available for purchase at the Bermuda Diabetes Association located at 22 Princess Street, Pembroke and online atwww.ptix.bm. Tickets are $5 for students, $10 for Bermuda Diabetes Association members and $15 general admission. To learn more about the film, visitwww.thehumantrial.com. For more information on the Bermuda Diabetes Association, visit thewebsite andFacebook page.