The shelf life of a sterile organ on ice is a matter of hours. Specialized pumping devices can extend the organ shelf life to a few days.
A sophisticated system for distribution of xenografts will be required.
While similar in concept to human organs, the differences in xenotransplantation offers a sizable business opportunity.
Immunosuppression that generally depresses the immune system causes risk to transplant recipients.
With higher volumes and decreased donor variability it will be technically feasible and financially attractive to create immunosuppressives that target only the anti-xenograft immune response.
The synergism of reduced risk will help to propel further growth in xenotransplantation.
Global regulatory bodies require testing of the pigs and xenograft recipients for porcine diseases that can infect humans.
These diseases are not critical to agriculture, so there are no available source for commercial testing for these agents.
Multiple screening points and sample sources are required, this creates a multi billion dollar market for disease screening services that do not exist today.
Services for associated testing and interpretation with results are widely available in transplantation of human organs but absent for xenografts.
While similar in nature, such as interpreting biopsies taken to diagnose rejection, infectious disease consults, or for other complications, the use of a pig organ creates fundamental differences.
Super-regional or national centers performing remote services can specialize and optimize this area.
Computerized systems manage the pretransplant process for human organs, and the matching, transportation, and tracking for post-op transplant recipients.
Differences in xenotransplantation and the process are incompatible with the antiquated existing systems used for human organs.
Projecting the revenue for information technology in transplantation indicates a >$1B opportunity for the same in xenotransplantation.
Pre-transplant testing that helps to ensure success has been essential to improve results in transplantation of human organs. Monitoring teh immune response post-transplant is also key.
Similar testing is being done for organs from pigs with differences in scope, reagents, and interpretation.
A purveyor of these services for human organ transplant sold for ~$1B in 2012 and a niche player in the market today is valued at $1B.
Xenotransplant volume will quickly exceed the capacity of medical centers. Specialized xenotransplant centers near urban cores can achieve efficiencies not possible at a general hospital.
These xenotransplant destinations will treat patients for the perioperative period f a short hospital stay followed by routine outpatient care until the xenograft recipient stabilizes.
These independent centers can absorb improved genetics or technologies from any developer insulating them from future changes.
Producing pigs for xenotransplantation is not like existing livestock practices. Worldwide, regulators require pathogen-free pigs raised behind a barrier under tightly controlled situations for pigs producing organs for transplant.
These practices are intended to deliver a consistent, quality medical product that has no chance of transmitting disease from pig to man.
Separating the production from design, as is done elsewhere, facilitates the rapid development in the field.