April 15 (UPI) -- A patient with end-stage kidney disease successfully received a genetically engineered porcine kidney and was released from the hospital in February, according to biotech firm eGenesis.
The transplant is part of a multi-patient study and the first done on three patients who were diagnosed with kidney failure and listed as needing a transplant, eGenesis officials said in an online announcement.
Surgeons at the Massachusetts General Hospital's Transplant Center replaced the patient's unhealthy kidney with a bio-engineered porcine kidney on Jan.25. Porcine is the scientific term for "pig-like."
"This procedure ... represents a new frontier in medicine," eGensis Chief Executive Officer Michael Curtis said. "We stand at the beginning of a future where organ shortages may no longer dictate patient outcomes."
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The patient is a 66-year-old man named Tim Andrews who had undergone dialysis treatment for two years due to end-stage kidney disease.
Kidney dialysis left Andrews fatigued and incapable of going about his normal daily routine.
The dialysis treatment also contributed to a heart attack that Andrews suffered in July 2023 while awaiting an eventual transplant procedure.
Patients needing kidney transplants normally wait between three and five years, but Andrews' has type O blood, which extended his expected wait time to between five and 10 years.
Doctors gave Andrews a 9% chance of undergoing an eventual kidney transplant but a 49% chance of dying while awaiting the procedure.
Instead, he opted to undergo a transplant using the bio-engineered porcine kidney on Jan. 25 and was released from the hospital on Feb. 1.
"As soon as I woke up after the surgery, the cloud of dialysis disappeared," Andrews said. "I felt re-energized and revitalized
He no longer undergoes dialysis treatment and the new kidney is working as expected, eGenesis officials said.
"The magnitude of what these doctors and nurses accomplished is unbelievable," Andrews said. "I want to thank them for giving me a new lease on life."
He said more than 500,000 people undergo dialysis in the United States and he hopes his bio-engineered kidney transplant encourages them.
"I want to inspire them to never give up hope because that's what this transplant provides," Andrews said. "It's a glimmer of hope."
The Food & Drug Administration authorized the porcine kidney transplant as part of its "Expanded Access pathway" and eGenesis' multi-patient study.
The clinical team that transplanted Andrews' kidney performed a similar transplant using a genetically engineered porcine kidney in March 2024, but Andrews was the first patient who had been diagnosed with kidney failure.
Two more transplants are planned for patients who have been diagnosed with kidney failure.
"The transplant team at MGH is honored to collaborate with eGenesis in pushing the boundaries of innovation to address the global organ shortage," said Dr. Leonardo Riella, MGH medical director for kidney transplantation.
"Our three-patient study this year will provide critical insights into the long-term viability of xenotransplants as a transformative solution for thousands of patients in need of a life-saving kidney."
More than 800,000 Americans and millions around the world are afflicted with end-stage renal disease or kidney failure, according to eGenesis.
