The dramatic story of Canadian Melissa Benoit, who lived for six days without a lung, shows a view of a new chapter in the history of medical technology. The novalung iLA membrane lung, which replaced the functions of the lung, is a product of XENIOS AG. As a strategic partner of XOR Labs in Toronto, both companies wanted to cooperate to revolutionize the conditions for organ transplants.– www.xenios-ag.com
The surgical pioneers behind this breakthrough are also the founders of XOR Labs Toronto. In a statement Dr. Shaf Kashavjee, the chief surgeon who conducted the operation, said: “This story gives us a view ahead into the dreams for the future. XENIOS AG’s products assist and now, can even replace the lungs with their novalung iLA therapy. By allowing gas exchange, the membrane ventilator “breathes” on behalf of the patient outside the patient’s body. Technology from XOR-Labs Toronto will improve donor lungs, increasing the chance for lung transplantation. XENIOS AG is XOR’s strategic partner for Europe and beyond, because of XENIOS’s outstanding expertise in the field of membrane gas exchange devices. This recent breakthrough shows that this liaison between XOR and Xenios has great potential for a unique and pioneering cooperation.”
XOR Labs Toronto develops devices that improve the preservation of donor lungs for transplantation. This will make it possible to use high-risk lungs that would otherwise have been considered marginal for transplants. This could massively increase the supply of good donor lungs and therefore save many lives. The cooperation with the experienced transplant specialist Dr. Shaf Kashavjee and XOR Labs Toronto is a great potential benefit for XENIOS AG and the future of lung transplants.
In the case of Benoit, Dr. Shaf Kashavjee had to make a life-saving decision at short notice – leave the seriously infected lung in the woman’s body or attempt a completely new surgical procedure and remove the organ. He decided in favor of the latter. The minimally invasive novalung iLA therapy is frequently used in his hospital for ventilation, but previously the lung has always remained in the patient’s body. The successful extension of the time until the transplantation of a donor lung to a full six days is a sensational step forward for XENIOS AG as well and it matches one of the visions of the medical technology company. As the “bridge to transplant” the therapy should significantly improve future success rates in the field of lung transplants. “This is a medical milestone in the history of our company,” state the two management directors of XENIOS AG, Dr. Matheis and Dr. Böhm.
