TOKYO — PorMedTec said Monday it plans to begin clinical trials of genetically modified pig kidney transplants in humans at two Japanese hospitals as early as 2028 in an effort to address the country’s shortage of organ donors.
The company said it will conduct the trials at Hokkaido University Hospital in Sapporo and Shonan Kamakura General Hospital in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture.
PorMedTec said it imports genetically modified pig cells developed by eGenesis and breeds pigs with the same genetic modifications in Japan. The pigs’ genes have been modified in 69 locations to reduce the risk of organ rejection.
“We want to lay the foundation of xenotransplantation in Japan,” said Hiroshi Nagashima, a Meiji University professor and representative director of PorMedTec.
The company said it will finalize its clinical trial plans and seek manufacturing and marketing approval if the trials prove successful.
According to the Japan Organ Transplant Network, about 300,000 people in Japan undergo dialysis, and approximately 15,000 patients were on the kidney transplant waiting list as of the end of May. The organization said patients wait an average of 15 years for a kidney transplant, longer than for any other organ.
Pig kidney transplants have previously been performed on a trial basis in the United States and China.
Since 2024, eGenesis has transplanted pig kidneys into four patients. In one case, the recipient lived for about nine months without dialysis before later receiving a kidney from a human donor.
Michikata Okubo, who leads the Green Ribbon Promotion Association, said xenotransplantation could become another treatment option if proven successful but noted that concerns remain about the potential risk of infectious diseases and the psychological burden on patients.