Press release
United Therapeutics and Intermountain Health Announce the First Patient Treated With External Liver Support Using a Bioengineered Liver
A phase 1 study of miroliverELAP for the treatment of acute liver failure is currently underway;1 first patient in the study underwent the procedure at
About this update from United Therapeutics Corporation
[{"type":"text","content":"\nA phase 1 study of miroliverELAP for the treatment of acute liver failure is currently underway;1 first patient in the study underwent the procedure at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah\n\n\nApproximately 30% of acute liver failure (ALF) patients die without access to a liver transplant.2\n\n\n EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. & MURRAY, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nUnited Therapeutics Corporation (Nasdaq: UTHR), a public benefit corporation, and Intermountain Health, one of the nation’s top health systems and the largest nonprofit health system in the Intermountain West, today announced the world’s first patient treated in a clinical study of a bioengineered external liver assist product called miroliverELAP®.\n\n\nThis study is the first human clinical trial of a manufactured organ alternative.\n\n\nThe procedure was performed on a patient experiencing liver failure who was not eligible for a liver transplant. The procedure was performed by the team at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah, led by Christopher J. Danford, MD, a transplant hepatologist at Intermountain Health.\n\n\nDeveloped by Miromatrix Medical Inc., a United Therapeutics subsidiary, miroliverELAP is an external liver assist combination product consisting of a single-use MIRO-001 bioengineered liver and an extracorporeal blood circuit.\n\n\nThe bioengineered liver is made up of a decellularized porcine liver scaffold to which allogeneic3 human endothelial4 and liver cells have been added.\n\n\n“This first of its kind treatment represents a historic achievement for United Therapeutics and Miromatrix in advancing the potential of bioengineered human organs to help save and improve patients’ lives,” said Jeff Ross, Ph.D., President of Miromatrix. “We’re grateful to the patient and their family, in addition to the scientists and caregivers at Intermountain Health and Intermountain Medical Center who helped make this breakthrough possible. Looking ahead, we’re excited to continue progressing our ongoing phase 1 clinical trial.”\n\n\n“This groundbreaking procedure – the first of its kind in the world – represents everything Intermountain Health stands for in providing innovative, cutting-edge high-quality care for our patients,” said Ralph Jean-Mary, president of Intermountain Medical Center. “We are profoundly thankful to this patient for their participation in t...