66-year-old American Tim Andrews lived a record nine months with a genetically modified pig kidney, after which he was successfully transplanted with a human organ. This was reported by The New York Times newspaper.

Andrews suffered from kidney failure due to hypertension and diabetes. Because of his rare blood type, his chances of receiving a suitable human donor kidney were extremely low. In January 2025, a man agreed to an experimental operation to transplant an organ from a genetically modified pig.

The pig kidney worked for 271 days, allowing the patient to refuse dialysis: the organ cleaned the blood, while Andrews himself restored his appetite and muscle mass. Eventually, the kidney had to be removed due to the formation of blood clots in its vessels.

In January 2026, a man received a kidney from a compatible human donor. As doctors note, his case showed that the preliminary transplantation of a pig organ does not prevent the subsequent transplantation of a human organ.

The operation was part of a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) program in which five patients received pig kidneys developed by the biotechnology company eGenesis. Three of them have lived with such organs for more than eight months.

Specialists consider transplantation of genetically modified animal organs as a possible temporary "bridge" for patients waiting for a human donor kidney. Doctors note that Andrews experience is important data for the further development of xenotransplantation.