Extending the Life of Transplanted Kidneys

The average kidney transplant recipient experiences kidney failure within 10 to 12 years after a transplant, putting them on a cycle that ends with kidney failure and a need for a new transplant. This cycle adds to strains on transplant recipients, payers, providers, and the healthcare system and taxes the limited supply of organs for transplantation. Eledon Pharmaceuticals is seeking to extend the functional life of transplanted organs while reducing the side effects of current immunosuppressive treatments with its experimental, first-in-class immunosuppressive therapy, Tegoprubart. We spoke to Steve Perrin, president and chief scientific officer of Eledon Pharmaceuticals, about the need for innovative approaches to immunosuppression in organ transplantation, how its experimental therapy works, and why it may also have benefits in autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases as well.