Health

Man Survives 271 Days With Pig Kidney in Record Feat

Is this a genuine breakthrough in transplant medicine or an overhyped, costly stopgap?

Published SEP 4

Man Survives 271 Days With Pig Kidney in Record Feat

Story

Above: Tim Andrews at Massachusetts General Hospital. Image credit: Gina Beana Fofina via X

The Facts

According to details published in the Lancet on Thursday, Tim Andrews, 66, lived with a genetically edited pig kidney for 271 days without needing dialysis before receiving a human donor kidney in January, marking the longest dialysis-free survival following porcine kidney xenotransplantation in a living human.
The Lancet
BBC News
Daily Mail
The pig kidney, designated EGEN-2784 and developed by biotech company eGenesis, was transplanted at Massachusetts General Hospital on Jan. 25, 2025, under an FDA Expanded Access Investigational New Drug application. The kidney functioned immediately after transplantation.
The Lancet
Pharmaphorum
The Telegraph
An early episode of T-cell-mediated rejection resolved with treatment, and no transmission of pig pathogens was detected. After roughly six months, immunosuppression was reduced due to infection, after which the xenograft developed microvascular injury that progressed to organ failure.
Financial Times
Harvard Medical School
Dr. AK on X
Following removal of the pig kidney, Andrews underwent 82 days of dialysis before receiving a deceased human donor kidney. Subsequent monitoring showed immediate graft function and no evidence of sensitization over 231 days of follow-up.
The Lancet
The Guardian
NDTV
Since March 2024, five patients at Massachusetts General Hospital have received EGEN-2784 pig kidney transplants, including three who achieved sustained kidney function for at least eight months without dialysis. Two of the five have since transitioned to human donor kidneys.
Financial Times
Pharmaphorum
EurekAlert!
The FDA has authorized a phase 1/2/3 clinical trial called RESTORE, enrolling 33 kidney failure patients aged 50 to 70, which eGenesis expects to begin in early 2026. In the U.S., around 100,000 people await a kidney transplant while only about 25,000 transplants occur each year.
News Medical
Pharmaphorum
The Telegraph

Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

A gene-edited pig kidney kept Tim Andrews dialysis-free for 271 days — and when it was done, his immune system remained receptive enough to accept a human kidney that worked right away. This is proof that xenotransplantation works as a real clinical bridge, not just a lab concept. For millions facing chronic organ shortages, that's a genuine turning point.

Leonardo V. Riella on X

Science & Nature on X

Narrative B

Xenotransplantation still has a long road ahead — rejection ended the pig kidney's function after 271 days, and heavy immunosuppression wore the organ down the whole time. The supply chain for gene-edited pigs is tiny, costs are steep and ethical fights over animal use haven't gone away. Calling this a breakthrough oversells what is still an expensive, fragile stopgap with serious unresolved risks.