By Hannah Green
The Cambridge company behind the technology that enabled the first-ever pig-to-human kidney transplant earlier this year has raised a mega-round of funding.
The biotech eGenesis said on Wednesday that it has closed a $191 million Series D financing led by Lux Capital. Existing investors including Arch Ventures and Leaps by Bayer, as well new investors, also joined in the round. A spokesperson said eGenesis has now raised about $450 million to date.
EGenesis was co-founded back in 2015 by Harvard professor George Church, a well-known pioneer in genomic science. The Cambridge company is using gene-editing technologies to advance the field of xenotransplantation — the transplantation of living organs, tissues, or cells from one species to another.
In March 2024, Rick Slayman became the first patient in the world to undergo a successful pig-to-human kidney transplant. The transplant surgery was authorized by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration under the Expanded Access pathway and performed by a surgical team at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Slayman died in May, but the hospital has said there was no indication the death was related to the transplant.
EGenesis played a role in this moment through its work developing genetically engineered organs. The startup has developed a pig with 69 genomic edits that enable it to develop a kidney that can be transferred into a human patient. The technology, called CRISPR-Cas9, removes pig genes and add certain human genes to make it more compatible for humans.
EGenesis says that its human compatible donor organs could help address the organ shortage. There are more than 100,000 people on the national transplant waiting list.
The company said it would use its new funding to advance the eGenesis donor kidney, EGEN-2784, to a first-in-human study for kidney transplant. EGenesis also plans to use the capital to advance its pipeline programs and scale production. EGenesis has development programs for acute liver failure and heart transplant.
“This financing demonstrates the confidence that investors have in cross-species transplantation as a potential solution to the global organ crisis and in eGenesis as the leader in this sector,” eGenesis CEO Mike Curtis said in the announcement. “We are thrilled to work with Lux Capital and this world-class syndicate to advance our lead program to formal clinical trials. With this support, we are one step closer to bringing a solution to help patients suffering from organ failure.”