An international partnership between eGenesis in the United States and PorMedTec in Japan has led to the successful production of genetically engineered porcine donors for use in transplantation.
The organ shortage in Japan is even more dire than in the United States, with only 3% of waitlist candidates receiving a transplant due to a greater shortage of allogeneic organ donors. The median wait time for a kidney transplant in Japan is fifteen years, compared to four years in the United States.
“In Japan, interest in xenotransplantation is high due to the acute need for organs, but progress in this field has been limited due to the lack of genetically engineered donors with the potential to support human recipients. Birth of a genetically engineered pig with a proven track record in the United States is expected to accelerate progress toward the clinic in Japan,” said Genjiro Miwa, founder & CEO of PorMedTec. “Our mission is to provide transplantable organs, tissues, and cells for the treatment of all patients with organ failure.”
