Kidney Transplant From Genetically Edited Pig: Boston Patient With End-Stage Renal Disease Becomes First To Receive

Thursday, Eledon Pharmaceuticals Inc ELDN announced that tegoprubart, the company’s investigational anti-CD40L antibody, was used as a component of the immunosuppressive treatment regimen following the first-ever transplant of a kidney from a genetically modified pig to a human. 

The procedure was completed on March 16, 2024, at Massachusetts General Hospital on a 62-year-old man living with end-stage kidney disease.

“Eledon has now participated in both heart and kidney xenotransplant procedures, further demonstrating tegoprubart’s broad potential in transplant,” said David-Alexandre Gros, Eledon Chief Executive Officer.

Tegoprubart is being administered to the patient investigationally as part of a regimen designed to suppress the immune system and prevent the body from rejecting the transplanted pig organ. 

Also Read: First Human With Pig Heart Transplant Dies.

Tegoprubart has been observed to be safe and well-tolerated in multiple studies and indications, including preventing rejection following kidney transplantation.

Multiple clinical and preclinical research efforts are currently underway to evaluate the ability of tegoprubart to reduce the risk of rejection in organ transplant. 

Eledon is advancing preclinical studies in which tegoprubart is being used as a part of the immunosuppression regimen designed to reduce the risk of rejection in nonhuman primate recipients in xenotransplant procedures. 

In parallel, Eledon is running two clinical studies evaluating tegoprubart for the prevention of organ rejection in persons receiving a de novo kidney transplant. 

The company recently presented results from 11 participants enrolled in its ongoing Phase 1b kidney transplantation study, which demonstrated that tegoprubart, as part of a calcineurin inhibitor-free immunosuppressive regimen, was generally safe and well tolerated and both successfully prevented rejection as well as permitted above historical average post-transplant kidney function. 

The company’s Phase 2 BESTOW study, assessing tegoprubart head-to-head with tacrolimus to prevent rejection in kidney transplantation, is currently recruiting participants, and plans to complete enrollment at the end of 2024.

Price Action: ELDN shares are up 6.51% at $1.80 on the last check Thursday.

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