Organ transplantation

Paragonix SherpaPak Recognized for Maximizing Access to the Donor Pool in New Clinical Study

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

General Health, Health, Surgery, Organ transplantation, Medical University of Vienna, Patient, Risk, CTS, Medical school, Survival, Freezing, Lung transplantation, ECMO, PGD, Physician, Dentistry

The use of extended criteria donor organs can increase the availability of life-saving transplantable organs, proving to be a valuable solution to those on the waitlist in need of an organ transplant.

Key Points:

The use of extended criteria donor organs can increase the availability of life-saving transplantable organs, proving to be a valuable solution to those on the waitlist in need of an organ transplant.
The Paragonix SherpaPak CTS is a static hypothermic preservation device intended to protect the donor heart during transit, standardizing the internal environment to maintain a recommended thermal range above freezing, unlike traditionally used ice-cold storage.
Published in the esteemed Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, this study compared the effectiveness of ice-cold storage against the Paragonix SherpaPak CTS, assessing the post-transplant outcomes of recipients who received an extended criteria donor heart.
“The study finds the Paragonix SherpaPak Cardiac Transport System provides a clinically effective solution to safely increase donor heart utilization.

LifeNet Health OPO sets new record in 2023

Retrieved on:

Friday, January 12, 2024

Woman, Organ transplantation, Organ procurement organization, Hospital, OPO, Partnership, DMV, Nursing

Both numbers represent all-time highs for the LifeNet Health Organ Procurement Organization, which saved 591 lives, working in partnership with hospitals and transplant centers across the region.

Key Points:

Both numbers represent all-time highs for the LifeNet Health Organ Procurement Organization, which saved 591 lives, working in partnership with hospitals and transplant centers across the region.
"Our goal is to give healing every advantage in all we do, and for organ transplantation that means committing resources to expand and improve our OPO," said LifeNet Health President and CEO Rony Thomas.
The complexities of donation call for close collaboration between LifeNet Health and more than 70 hospitals and transplant centers.
In 2023, LifeNet Health moved into expanded OPO offices in Richmond.

U.S. Organ Procurement Organizations Recovered Over 43,000 Organs Which Were Successfully Transplanted in 2023, Marking Thirteen Years of Consistent Growth in Deceased Donation

Retrieved on:

Thursday, January 11, 2024

Organ transplantation, Patient, Medicaid, OPO, Transplant, Transport, National academy, OPOS, Surgeon, Growth, Pharmaceutical industry

MCLEAN, Va., Jan. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. organ procurement organizations (OPOs) recovered 43,000 organs that resulted in life-saving transplants in 2023, according to recently released data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. This milestone accounts for an average of 128 organ transplants each day from over 16,000 heroic donors and was achieved despite nationwide trends of organ non-utilization.

Key Points:

This milestone accounts for an average of 128 organ transplants each day from over 16,000 heroic donors and was achieved despite nationwide trends of organ non-utilization.
The data demonstrates strong OPO performance year over year, including a 9.4% increase in organs successfully transplanted from deceased donors and a 9.6% increase in deceased donation from 2022 to 2023.
This data shows significant growth with 46 of 56 OPOs increasing donation rates from the previous year.
The rate of organ non-utilization in the U.S. rose once again in 2023, with 28% of kidneys recovered by OPOs declined for organ transplantation.

OneLegacy Sets New National Record for Organ Donors

Retrieved on:

Monday, January 8, 2024

Support for lifesaving organ donation and transplants continues to rise at a record-setting pace in Southern California, with the nonprofit OneLegacy announcing an 11% increase in organ donors to an all-time national record 721 donors and a 13% increase in successful organ transplants to 1,840.

Key Points:

Support for lifesaving organ donation and transplants continues to rise at a record-setting pace in Southern California, with the nonprofit OneLegacy announcing an 11% increase in organ donors to an all-time national record 721 donors and a 13% increase in successful organ transplants to 1,840.
OneLegacy’s 2023 growth continues a 12-year trend that has seen an 84% increase in organ donors and a 48% increase in organs that surgeons have accepted for transplant.
"Thanks to our caring and dedicated team of donation professionals and our colleagues in hospitals across the region, we were able to help a record number of donors and their families leave a lifesaving legacy in 2023,” said OneLegacy CEO Prasad Garimella.
OneLegacy’s investment in creating the Azusa Recovery Center has had an immediate impact on the availability of organ transplantation.

The curious link between animal hibernation and ageing – and what humans could learn from it

Retrieved on:

Friday, January 5, 2024

This long, deep rest is an example of how nature develops clever solution to difficult problems.

Key Points:

This long, deep rest is an example of how nature develops clever solution to difficult problems.
In this case, how to survive a long, cold and dark period without much food and water.
You will also find descriptions in Inuit Greenlandic stories of a prolonged hibernation-like sleep during the long dark winter months.

Animals and hibernation

Animals that hibernate usually live longer compared to other species of the same size.
Recent studies using epigenetic clocks, which map activity within genes over time, suggest that hibernation slows down ageing in marmots and bats.
So hibernation may hold important clues on how to slow down ageing processes.
New science based on epigenetic clocks and lessons from hibernating animals could help us to treat patients who have diseases driven by “wear and tear”.
A 2018 study found that mimicking hibernation conditions for the storage of renal grafts from deceased donors seemed to improve their preservation.

Animals and longevity

It seems like protection against inflammation, oxidative stress and modifications of proteins that happen with age are mechanism that in general benefit all long-lived animals.
Genetic studies of rougheye rockfish, which can live for over 200 years, suggest that a food group called flavonoids is related to longevity.
Lessons from nature and hibernating animals tell us that preserving cells, regulation metabolism and genetic adaptions play key roles in longevity.

Forty winks

For example, a March 2023 study showed that with good quality sleep, you can add five years to the life of men and two and a half years if you are a woman.
How elephants can become so old while sleeping so little is still a mystery to scientists.

Peter Stenvinkel receives funding from Astra Zeneca, Fresenius, Baxter, Novo Nordisk, Bayer, Invizius, Vifor for lectures and scientific advisory boards

What humans can learn from animals about how to adapt to winter

Retrieved on:

Friday, January 5, 2024

When the cold and dark winter is setting in, some of us envy animals that can hibernate.

Key Points:

When the cold and dark winter is setting in, some of us envy animals that can hibernate.
In this case, how to survive a long, cold and dark period without much food and water.
You will also find descriptions in Inuit Greenlandic stories of a prolonged hibernation-like sleep during the long dark winter months.

Animals and hibernation

Animals that hibernate usually live longer compared to other species of the same size.
Recent studies using epigenetic clocks, which map activity within genes over time, suggest that hibernation slows down ageing in marmots and bats.
So hibernation may hold important clues on how to slow down ageing processes.
New science based on epigenetic clocks and lessons from hibernating animals could help us to treat patients who have diseases driven by “wear and tear”.
A 2018 study found that mimicking hibernation conditions for the storage of renal grafts from deceased donors seemed to improve their preservation.

Animals and longevity

It seems like protection against inflammation, oxidative stress and modifications of proteins that happen with age are mechanism that in general benefit all long-lived animals.
Genetic studies of rougheye rockfish, which can live for over 200 years, suggest that a food group called flavonoids is related to longevity.
Lessons from nature and hibernating animals tell us that preserving cells, regulation metabolism and genetic adaptions play key roles in longevity.

Forty winks

For example, a March 2023 study showed that with good quality sleep, you can add five years to the life of men and two and a half years if you are a woman.
How elephants can become so old while sleeping so little is still a mystery to scientists.

Peter Stenvinkel receives funding from Astra Zeneca, Fresenius, Baxter, Novo Nordisk, Bayer, Invizius, Vifor for lectures and scientific advisory boards

Revive Therapeutics Collaborates with Attwill Medical Solutions for the Clinical and Commercial Development of a Novel Lyophilized Formulation of Bucillamine

Retrieved on:

Monday, December 18, 2023

“The formulation development of our novel lyophilized formulation of Bucillamine at the University of Waterloo is near complete, and we are now entering into the next phase of our product development cycle and preparing for a clinical trial,” said Michael Frank, CEO of Revive.

Key Points:

“The formulation development of our novel lyophilized formulation of Bucillamine at the University of Waterloo is near complete, and we are now entering into the next phase of our product development cycle and preparing for a clinical trial,” said Michael Frank, CEO of Revive.
The collaboration between Revive and AMS will support the technology transfer of the lyophilized formulation of Bucillamine from the University of Waterloo (“UW”) to AMS.
After completing the technology transfer, AMS will begin the development and clinical trial manufacturing of lyophilized Bucillamine under GMP.
The Company expects to have its novel lyophilized Bucillamine ready for clinical evaluation in 2024.

Vascular Perfusion Solutions and Unravel Biosciences announce partnership to modulate endothelial activation during heart preservation to improve heart transplant outcomes

Retrieved on:

Monday, November 27, 2023

Ischemia, Science, Partnership, Survival, Risk, Research, VPS, Health, Organ transplantation, Endothelium, Transplant, Patient, Vaccine

BOSTON, Mass., Nov. 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vascular Perfusion Solutions (VPS) and Unravel Biosciences, Inc. (“Unravel”) are partnering to develop a proprietary perfusion solution that will enhance organ viability during transport and reduce the risk of acute rejection following transplantation.

Key Points:

BOSTON, Mass., Nov. 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vascular Perfusion Solutions (VPS) and Unravel Biosciences, Inc. (“Unravel”) are partnering to develop a proprietary perfusion solution that will enhance organ viability during transport and reduce the risk of acute rejection following transplantation.
The partnership utilizes Unravel’s target and drug discovery platform, BioNAV™, which leverages a gene expression network AI model of human health to advance drugs for complex diseases in a target-agnostic manner, to identify small molecule modulators of endothelial activation.
Acute organ rejection is the leading cause of transplant failure, resulting in a growing interest in improving organ preservation and ex-vivo heart perfusion techniques increasing transport time while reducing the harsh impacts of ischemic injury.
VPS stands as a trailblazer in the field of organ preservation and transplant research, committed to pushing the boundaries of science to enhance transplant patient outcomes.

Revive Therapeutics Provides Update of Novel Bucillamine Formulation Development

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Defense, Research, FDA, National security, University, Organ transplantation, Inflammation, Injury, Infection, Therapy, Disorder, RVV, Solubility

TORONTO, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Revive Therapeutics Ltd. (“Revive” or the “Company”) (OTCQB: RVVTF) (CSE: RVV) (FRANKFURT:31R), a specialty life sciences company focused on the research and development of therapeutics for medical needs and rare disorders, provides an update on the development of a next generation lyophilized formulation of Bucillamine.

Key Points:

TORONTO, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Revive Therapeutics Ltd. (“Revive” or the “Company”) (OTCQB: RVVTF) (CSE: RVV) (FRANKFURT:31R), a specialty life sciences company focused on the research and development of therapeutics for medical needs and rare disorders, provides an update on the development of a next generation lyophilized formulation of Bucillamine.
Under an agreement with the University of Waterloo, formulation development work is ongoing and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Specifically, the novel Bucillamine formulation could support the continuation of the research project the Company has with the Defence R&D Canada - Suffield, an agency of the Canadian Department of National Defence, to evaluate Bucillamine as a potential treatment for nerve agent exposure.
The Company expects to have its novel lyophilized formulation of Bucillamine ready for production with a contract development manufacturing organization for clinical evaluation in 2024.

Eledon Pharmaceuticals Reports Third Quarter 2023 Operating and Financial Results

Retrieved on:

Thursday, November 9, 2023

IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eledon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Eledon”) (NASDAQ: ELDN) today reported its third quarter operating and financial results and reviewed recent business highlights.

Key Points:

IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eledon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Eledon”) (NASDAQ: ELDN) today reported its third quarter operating and financial results and reviewed recent business highlights.
Research and development expenses were $7.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023, compared to $7.5 million for the comparable period in 2022, an increase of $0.4 million.
General and administrative expenses were $3.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023, compared to $3.1 million for the comparable period in 2022, a decrease of $0.2 million.
The company had approximately $59.6 million in cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments as of September 30, 2023, compared to $56.4 million in cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2022.