KAMAKURA, Japan — Biotechnology startup PorMedTec is preparing to apply for conditional approval in 2029 to perform pig-to-human kidney transplants, while aiming to begin Japan’s first clinical trials a year earlier.
The Kanagawa-based company said the initial studies could start in 2028 at Hokkaido University Hospital and Shonan Kamakura General Hospital, introducing xenotransplantation into clinical testing in Japan.
As part of the project, the company will clone pigs from cells obtained from genetically engineered pigs developed by U.S. biotech firm eGenesis. It also intends to build kidney extraction facilities near the participating hospitals by 2027 to support future transplant operations.
Speaking at a news conference, Dr. Kazunari Tanabe of Shonan Kamakura General Hospital described the specialized training he received in harvesting kidneys from pigs.
He noted that the animals’ blood vessel structure and the surgical process were very similar to those used in human kidney removal, enabling doctors to use the same instruments while completing the procedure safely.
Interest in pig-to-human organ transplantation has grown following clinical cases in the United States, where four patients who had depended on dialysis for at least two years underwent pig kidney transplants. The recipients reportedly remained free from dialysis for as long as nine months, demonstrating the potential of the emerging technology.
