The US Reaches One Million Organ Transplants

Last week, the United States clocked one million organ transplants. This historic milestone was confirmed by the United Network for Organ Sharing at 12.50 p.m. ET. This private nonprofit organization is in charge of managing the sole organ transplantation and procurement network in the United States, under contract with the federal government.

Details about the patient who received this millionth organ are unknown. Additionally, it is unclear what organ brought the number to one million.

The first successful organ transplant was carried out decades ago, in 1954. It was conducted at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital by Dr. Joseph Murray. The procedure involved 23-year old identical twins, Richard and Ronald Herrick. During the surgery, Murray transplanted a kidney extracted from Ronald into Richard, who suffered from chronic kidney failure.

Murray’s role in the procedure earned him the Nobel Prize in Medicine. However, the number of transplants carried out annually remained low until the ‘80s.

Data from the United Network for Organ Sharing shows that the arrival of antirejection drugs and success in transplants for other organs apart from kidneys, including pancreases, livers and hearts, led to an increase in transplants.

Since then, transplants have become a common procedure, not only in America but in other parts of the world as well. Figures show that since 2007, more than 500,000 transplants have been carried out in the United States. Last year, more than 41,000 transplants were completed, making this the highest number of transplants ever recorded in one year. This figure is also twice as many as the number of transplants carried out 25 years ago.

While the number of transplants being carried out is the highest ever, the organ transplantation network is not without fault. Figures show that roughly 5,000 individuals die waiting on transplant lists annually. Additionally, research published in 2020 found that a significant number of kidneys from donors in America were discarded unnecessarily.

Despite this, organ donors and recipients hope that through their stories, more individuals will be inspired to sign up to donate and help shorten these transplant waiting lists.

One such story is that of Nicholas Peters, who was killed in a motorcycle accident two years ago. His wish to be an organ donor was honored by his mother, Maria Clark. Peters’ heart was transplanted into Jean Paul Marceaux, a sixth-grader who had been suffering from various heart conditions for much of his life. This gesture not only saved Marceaux’s life but also brought the two families together.

With many companies such as Aditxt Inc. (NASDAQ: ADTX) seeking to commercialize various technologies that can reduce the rates of organ rejection in patients, the number of successful transplantations is sure to rise over the coming years and decades.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Aditxt Inc. (NASDAQ: ADTX) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/ADTX

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