A groundbreaking step in both medicine and agriculture is underway as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first clinical trials of gene-edited pig kidneys for human transplant—a development that could have far-reaching implications for both human health and the pork industry.
Biotech firm eGenesis announced this week that it has received FDA clearance to begin transplanting kidneys from its specially bred pigs into 33 human patients over the next two and a half years. The first procedures are expected before the end of 2025.
“The only way to understand how this will perform across different patients is to run a larger study,” said Mike Curtis, CEO of eGenesis.
Pigs at the Center of Life-Saving Innovation
The pigs used in these trials are edited with CRISPR technology to remove genes that trigger immune rejection in humans. This breakthrough follows a series of individual transplant cases over the past two years where pig kidneys and even hearts have been successfully transplanted into critically ill patients.
At Massachusetts General Hospital, the first living recipient of a pig kidney transplant in March 2024 lived for two months before passing away due to unrelated heart issues. Another patient who received a pig kidney in January 2025 is still living with the organ, making him the longest-living pig kidney recipient in the world.
Other institutions, including NYU Langone and the University of Maryland, have also performed experimental xenotransplants, demonstrating the growing momentum in the field.
Impact on the Pork Industry
While the primary goal is to save lives—more than 100,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for organ transplants, most for kidneys—this research also shines a spotlight on the pork industry’s role in medical innovation.
Producers and agricultural leaders have long known the value pigs bring to medicine, from insulin production in the past to this new era of xenotransplantation. These trials could position pigs as a critical link between agriculture, biotechnology, and global health solutions.
What Comes Next
The FDA-approved trials will allow researchers to study transplants in patients earlier in kidney disease rather than waiting until no other options exist. If successful, this could transform organ transplant availability and demonstrate yet another way pigs play a vital role beyond food production.
As Curtis noted, the goal is to move from “one-off success stories” to proven treatments for thousands of people.
