Health
FDA Greenlights Studies of Pig Kidney Transplants in Humans
- Trial will start by enrolling six patients with renal failure
- Results could help patients who wouldn’t get a human kidney
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The US Food and Drug Administration approved clinical trials that will transplant organs from genetically modified pigs into patients with kidney failure.
United Therapeutics Corp. will initially include six people with end-stage renal disease in the study, eventually enrolling 50 patients, according to a statement Monday. The patients will receive the company’s UKidney, followed by a 24-week post-transplant period that will include a safety assessment. Participants will then be tracked for the rest of their lives in order to determine survival, kidney function and other factors.